Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[Tomtommom]

I will be processing my own suckling pig for easter dinner,,,any suggestions on how to make hair removal easier,,,,,all I have to use is an old pair of shears I had for the dog.....and also any suggestions in general,,,,will not be the first time eating this, but it is the first time I will be cooking it.

Sorry, I know it is not chicken related, but it is processing related.

I don't know if I could process a pig... I have this strange affinity for pigs. Cute fluffy bunnies, sure. Pigs, no. I'm a little crazy. I do love pork so, guess I'm a hypocrite. May have to cut my teeth on a suckling pig

I'm sure it would smell TERRIBLE, but you could try scorching with a small torch. I don't know how hairy said pig is.

Only way I've seen suckling pig cooked is low and slow on a bbq smoker grill type thing, or Hawaiian style, in a pit. Digging a pit sounds like work, so option one sounds more feasible.

EDIT: Being curious on the subject, I asked my friend Google. Apparently you just stick it in a low oven (275F) for 4 hours or so, then crank it up to 500F until crispy. Sounds rediculously delicious! Now I really want a little piggie to eat.

 

[dutchbunny83]

Okay thanks, I will start looking up some recipes

Sorry, I've never processed any type of animals besides birds I don't know the first thing about livestock!

 

[ronott1]

I will be processing my own suckling pig for easter dinner,,,any suggestions on how to make hair removal easier,,,,,all I have to use is an old pair of shears I had for the dog.....and also any suggestions in general,,,,will not be the first time eating this, but it is the first time I will be cooking it.

Sorry, I know it is not chicken related, but it is processing related.

need to clarify here, this will be a small pig no larger than 20 pounds, it needs to fit in my oven, I may be able to go to 25 pounds, the farm the pig is coming from asked for my oven size instead of what weight i wanted.

We used a 50 Gallon barrel, built a fire in it and useda block and tackle to drop the pig into it to burn the hair off. I imagine you could use a camp propane bottle with the same flame head that you use to solder water lines to burn off the hair.

Sounds delicious!

 

[katbriar]

I h

Has anyone tried raising 2-3 meaties with layer chicks? I was debating on getting a few this spring, as a trial run of sorts, to see if I want/can do a bigger batch later on.

I did that very thing (trial run). I had 3 cornish x and 5 red broilers in with 9 individuals is various layer breeds (easter eggers, barred rocks, delawares, and welsummers).

If you go with Cornish x be ready to move them out sooner than the others. They grow so quickly that they will be twice as big as the other in three to four weeks. That caused problems around the feeder (especially because they're constantly acting ravenous) and they were able to just overpower and push the others around in general. It never happened, but I was worried about a smaller one getting trampled or injured in the brooder.

I moved them out at about four weeks to the big coop and then reintegrated everyone once the broilers and layers had feathered out. There was enough room in the coop and run that they all interacted fine.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Three of my four 10-month old Ameraucana cockerels are in the fridge. What a relief!

I finally worked up the courage to slaughter my unwanted Ameraucana cockerels. I had four and wanted to keep two to breed from, but decided that the one that I wanted to keep really wasn't worth breeding from and was being a real jerk, especially to my husband who is no really an animal person. I just can't have sneak attacks on my husband when he is enjoying his back yard.

They were really challenging to clean. I had cervical spinal fusion surgery less than 6 weeks ago (which was my latest excuse to put off slaughtering them) and am still in a hard neck brace. I just found it all quite tiring. I'm not sure the surgery made it all that much harder, but it sure didn't make it easier.

Nothing was easy. This week, one of my 11-month old Silkie pullets drowned in the pool. I cleaned her without any problems. I think it took me the same amount of time just to separate the crop/esophagus from the neck of the first (younger) cockerel I did this morning than it did to completely clean and wash that pool-pullet. I had to use a knife to separate the skin, trachea and esophagus from the neck. I couldn't do it with my fingers.

They had such strong connective tissue, I couldn't just skin them the way I've always done. I had to use a knife a lot of the time and brute force. There was even a sheet of muscle tissue laying under the skin that came off when I skinned them. They were really hard to do.

Getting the insides free of the body was a challenge. I had to use brute force and sometimes a knife to get the entrails free. With every other bird I've done, I've just slipped my hand in and swiped around and the entrails are free of the body. Not with these! Even the lungs on one were a challenge because they didn't come out in one piece, I couldn't get my fingers down between the ribs because the rips were so big and well developed.

I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER wait this long to slaughter unwanted cockerels again!

 

[Arielle]

I will be processing my own suckling pig for easter dinner,,,any suggestions on how to make hair removal easier,,,,,all I have to use is an old pair of shears I had for the dog.....and also any suggestions in general,,,,will not be the first time eating this, but it is the first time I will be cooking it.

Sorry, I know it is not chicken related, but it is processing related.

need to clarify here, this will be a small pig no larger than 20 pounds, it needs to fit in my oven, I may be able to go to 25 pounds, the farm the pig is coming from asked for my oven size instead of what weight i wanted.

Even DH is chuckling!! Very practical.

 

[Tomtommom]

Three of my four 10-month old Ameraucana cockerels are in the fridge. What a relief!

...

I will NEVER EVER EVER EVER wait this long to slaughter unwanted cockerels again!

Wow, that sounds like a pain in the butt. Probably going to tough as nails to eat too. I'd grind them, if I had the equipment for it. In liue of that.. broth, maybe tough-as-nails rooster and dumplings

just make sure you cut the meat small.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Wow, that sounds like a pain in the butt. Probably going to tough as nails to eat too. I'd grind them, if I had the equipment for it. In liue of that.. broth, maybe tough-as-nails rooster and dumplings

just make sure you cut the meat small.

No no no. I'm making Coq au Vin, which is made from old roosters. You just have to cook it right.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I don't mind a year old rooster . . . . great flavor.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote: I saved a recipe for white wine coq au vin, as the DH doesn't like the purple meat from the red wine.

Mine got a stay of execution due to extreme rain. We have had 7 inches of rain in 3 days. We desperately needed it too. I have no problems with the meanies, but I have a really nice 11 month old cockerel with loose wings that I have to cull. Not looking forward to that. I'm going to try to do a hen that is no longer laying also. I don't know why, but mentally, culling a hen is harder for me.