# we Put down OUR pig



## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 5, 2020)

We were forced to put down a pig on our farm, that, was ours.  He was planning to stay forever.  Things changed when we had an opportunity to get 14 new animals.  Something had to give.  It was a horrible horrible choice.  We are still hating this part of the farm life.  This is the second time we’ve butchered something that was a pet.  But when we couldn’t keep it or sell it...we had to butcher it.  Awful situation.  Anyways...this time we are both soooo close to this animal...and, we can’t really eat it.  Chris is determinEd, because he feels if he kills an animal he loves he’s sure goin* to eat every bite!  It tastes just like or farm.  Exactly.  I take a bite...and I can smell him...smell me petting him.  It really upsets me.  Now Chris has made sausage steaks, you name it.  Can. Anyone give me help on to getting the smell of your farm out on an animal once you butcher it.  It s made it impossible for me to eat it...heck, I almost cry....this guy. W as not. Supposed to gET butchErEd, but. We got mor3. Animals and need3$ room.


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## Baymule (Feb 5, 2020)

I understand your anguish. This was your friend, you loved him and if I am right, you may feel like you betrayed him and are feeling terribly guilty.

First of all, no one here is going to make fun of you or say anything ugly. You are a tender hearted lady who loves her animals and we all recognize that. So if you are having a hard time dealing with this, you came to the right place.

Chris has the right attitude, he is honoring the pig by not letting it go to waste. You are very emotionally wrapped up with this pig and With every bite, you are reliving all the care and love you gave him. It is very hard to have one go from pet to dinner. 

When I slaughter an animal, we pray over it. I give thanks to the animal and to God for the life of the animal, that we might have good food to eat. I suggest you take a page from Baymule's Book of Crazies and take a walk out to the barn. Pray. Say a prayer of thanks. Then talk to the pig, tell him how bad you feel, pour your heart out and maybe have a good cry. It might make you feel better and it sure can't hurt. 
Big hugs. I hope you can deal with this.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 5, 2020)

Baymule said:


> I understand your anguish. This was your friend, you loved him and if I am right, you may feel like you betrayed him and are feeling terribly guilty.
> 
> First of all, no one here is going to make fun of you or say anything ugly. You are a tender hearted lady who loves her animals and we all recognize that. So if you are having a hard time dealing with this, you came to the right place.
> 
> ...


Thanks....this is actually the second time it’s happened to us.  I thought I could eat a bit of this guy.  But this animal, and the other...they taste like our barn!  I’m really worried that when we butcher the pig, intended to be butcher...it’ll still have that smell?  How does anyone deal with their dinner smelling like a bucket of hay ad such?


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## Baymule (Feb 5, 2020)

I never had that problem of meat smelling like hay. I use a lot of garlic and other seasonings. How are you preparing the meat?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 5, 2020)

Baymule said:


> I never had that problem of meat smelling like hay. I use a lot of garlic and other seasonings. How are you preparing the meat?


He made sausage...steaks...smoked ...basically with tooonnnsss of seasoning to coverup the taste of being a farm animal.  But, when you walk in the house...it just stinks...it’s such a distinct smell.  And it hurts us...because we love this guy and we are not being respectful.


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## Beekissed (Feb 5, 2020)

No meat should ever smell like the barnyard, so it could be what you are feeding and possibly how you are butchering that gives you meat with an off smell or flavor.   If you have to put tons of seasoning in the meat in order to eat it or disguise the smell, it's likely how the meat was handled during butchering.   You'll hear of that a lot when people kill deer and complain of a "gamey" flavor or smell, which should never happen if the butchering is handled properly. 

Could be you could find someone nearby who could instruct you on butchering techniques that would insure you have clean tasting meat?   There's really no point in having a farm if all the food produced is repugnant to you. 

I applaud you for killing and consuming your own animals...it's the most humane treatment possible if you consume meat in your diet.  One thing that may help you is to work on how you think about life and death of your beloved animals.  Using the phrasing "put down" has negative connotations associated with it, as if you had to ease its suffering for some reason.   It would help you a lot if you could think of it as a harvest, much like any other harvest of food that you grow.   To everything there is a season and the meat harvest has a season as well, so it may help you to think of all your animals as creatures that are here for a season in time and when that season is over for whatever reason, you will harvest their energy to fuel your bodies.


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## JHP Homestead (Feb 5, 2020)

Are you doing the butchering yourself? Has anyone other than you guys tried the meat and thought it tasted like barnyard?


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## Xerocles (Feb 5, 2020)

JHP Homestead said:


> Are you doing the butchering yourself? Has anyone other than you guys tried the meat and thought it tasted like barnyard?


I agree wholeheartedly with JHP. First find out if the "smell" is actual or emotional. Then you can figure out the best way to deal. Oh, but if you get someone to try it at their house, DON'T tell them the story first. Just say "here are some *****s. Try it. Then, after, tell them the story, so you don't bias their thinking. Good luck with this.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 6, 2020)

JHP Homestead said:


> Are you doing the butchering yourself? Has anyone other than you guys tried the meat and thought it tasted like barnyard?


Yes, Chris did the butchering.  We’re even buying a new saw.   He’s butchered many deer and two bear...they were to feed our dogs.  So, he can do a descent job.  I’ll ask him if he thinks butchering could have to do with the taste?


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 6, 2020)

Xerocles said:


> I agree wholeheartedly with JHP. First find out if the "smell" is actual or emotional. Then you can figure out the best way to deal. Oh, but if you get someone to try it at their house, DON'T tell them the story first. Just say "here are some *****s. Try it. Then, after, tell them the story, so you don't bias their thinking. Good luck with this.


No one else has eaten any of it.  Perhaps we’ll take some sausage to our weekly dinner.  We ate beaver there and it was delicious!


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 6, 2020)

Beekissed said:


> No meat should ever smell like the barnyard, so it could be what you are feeding and possibly how you are butchering that gives you meat with an off smell or flavor.   If you have to put tons of seasoning in the meat in order to eat it or disguise the smell, it's likely how the meat was handled during butchering.   You'll hear of that a lot when people kill deer and complain of a "gamey" flavor or smell, which should never happen if the butchering is handled properly.
> 
> Could be you could find someone nearby who could instruct you on butchering techniques that would insure you have clean tasting meat?   There's really no point in having a farm if all the food produced is repugnant to you.
> 
> I applaud you for killing and consuming your own animals...it's the most humane treatment possible if you consume meat in your diet.  One thing that may help you is to work on how you think about life and death of your beloved animals.  Using the phrasing "put down" has negative connotations associated with it, as if you had to ease its suffering for some reason.   It would help you a lot if you could think of it as a harvest, much like any other harvest of food that you grow.   To everything there is a season and the meat harvest has a season as well, so it may help you to think of all your animals as creatures that are here for a season in time and when that season is over for whatever reason, you will harvest their energy to fuel your bodies.


I suppose I wrote ‘put down’ because we are both still very upset.  We really loved this guy.  I do like your thinking of them as a harvest...


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## Mini Horses (Feb 6, 2020)

First -- you must change your attitude.   Beekissed is right, "harvest".

Second -- detach yourself.   Think, It isn't "suzie", it's a pork chop.

Third -- it was a pig.   It MAY have taint, some do.

These end of life issues are the thing that every farmer must learn to accept.   As Bay, I give a prayer of thanks for each.   I know they were well handled, fed, loved during their life here -- far better than those who are packaged at the store shelf.   We all face this and understand.   Do not feel guilty...work past it.


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## Beekissed (Feb 6, 2020)

If farming were easy, everyone would do it.   Many try, but to farm in the truest sense of the word, a person has to have a steady resolve and a goal of actual food production and animal husbandry that forwards the progress of the farm.   It will help you a lot if you get out of the "every animal is my pet" mindset into the mindset that "I'm going to enjoy my animals to the fullest, in every way, clear up to and past their last day with us."  Your husband has the right idea of loving your animals enough to consume them after they are gone....lots of hard work and love went into that animal, so the ultimate respect given at that point is to consume all that love and effort.  

It's a loving cycle if you can get your mind around it.  I name animals, enjoy their personalities and beauty, benefit from their God given function on this Earth and then I utilize them for the purpose for which they were created.   Ultimately, all our flesh will be utilized as energy for another creature sooner or later.   It's just the reality of life.   Those that can get on board with that truth have more joy in their farming life than those who agonize over death like it is a sorrowful punishment and the awful price to pay for farming.  

I know people who agonize every single time, for years and years they are trying to farm(my sister, for one), but they never truly have the joy of farming they could have if they could get their heads on right.  Joy is a decision and so is misery, so now would be a good time to sit down with your husband and decide how you want to farm~with huge highs and lows, much stress and anxiety ~or a steady joy and rhythm to your life on the farm, with the occasional sorrow that doesn't steal your joy.


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## Baymule (Feb 6, 2020)

How was the meat handled after slaughter? Here, I put meat in a large ice chest. If it is chicken, we bring the ice chest in the house and I process it the next day. If it is deer or pork, the ice chest stays outside, usually in the back of the mule, so I can drain the water off. I soak it several days, draining off the water and adding more ice. I realize that you would wind up with a frozen block if you left it outside, maybe you could place the ice chest in the bath tub. I know that in the North, you hang the meat to age it, if I did that, it would rot. LOL LOL  So the "age the meat" is done in an ice chest. But soaking the meat also draws out the blood. If there is a taint to the meat, you can add a half cup of table salt WITHOUT IDODINE. Salt will also draw out taint. 

It could be that you are sensitive to taint, most people are not, but some are. Some breeds of pigs have more taint than others and that can also apply to individual pigs. Before I take pigs to slaughter, I switch them to soured corn for no less than 4 weeks, usually 6 weeks. 

What cuts of meat do you have? What about taking a package of pork chops or steaks, and soaking them in salt water for 24 hours in the refrigerator? Put in a covered dish, cover with water that a teaspoon of plain table salt has been dissolved in Do bear in mind that the slat will enter the meat. I have salt soaked chicken and fish before but I used more salt, and it was good. If you are comfortable with it, use a tablespoon of salt. I would do a "test" piece of meat, just to see.


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## Amaggio (Feb 12, 2020)

I completely understand where you're coming from. As i woman i find it very hard to butcher my own animals because they are like pets. You put all this love and care into their raising, you see their personalities blossom, find their favorite foods, how can you not treat them like part of the family? But when i started my homestead i made a decision to do even the emotionally hard jobs because this is reality, life. Your pig lived so well, you took such good care of it, and now it's going to take good care of you by giving you nourishment. I always thank my animals before i butcher them for that very reason. It gives me some closer and reminds me their sacrifice is what lets me live a healthy life. It sounds to me like you never got your closer. What you're feeling isn't wrong, it's just heavy sorrow from your loss. Do your best to find a way to get that closer, to really say goodbye and thank you. Then maybe you can enjoy your meals again knowing that sacrifice wasn't in vain.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 12, 2020)

Baymule said:


> How was the meat handled after slaughter? Here, I put meat in a large ice chest. If it is chicken, we bring the ice chest in the house and I process it the next day. If it is deer or pork, the ice chest stays outside, usually in the back of the mule, so I can drain the water off. I soak it several days, draining off the water and adding more ice. I realize that you would wind up with a frozen block if you left it outside, maybe you could place the ice chest in the bath tub. I know that in the North, you hang the meat to age it, if I did that, it would rot. LOL LOL  So the "age the meat" is done in an ice chest. But soaking the meat also draws out the blood. If there is a taint to the meat, you can add a half cup of table salt WITHOUT IDODINE. Salt will also draw out taint.
> 
> It could be that you are sensitive to taint, most people are not, but some are. Some breeds of pigs have more taint than others and that can also apply to individual pigs. Before I take pigs to slaughter, I switch them to soured corn for no less than 4 weeks, usually 6 weeks.
> 
> What cuts of meat do you have? What about taking a package of pork chops or steaks, and soaking them in salt water for 24 hours in the refrigerator? Put in a covered dish, cover with water that a teaspoon of plain table salt has been dissolved in Do bear in mind that the slat will enter the meat. I have salt soaked chicken and fish before but I used more salt, and it was good. If you are comfortable with it, use a tablespoon of salt. I would do a "test" piece of meat, just to see.


By ‘taint’....does that mean ‘musty’...that’s what we call it.  We hung him outside.  It was PLENTY cold outside.  Chris cut him up and put him in our fridge in the shed.  He’s processing him into sections...porkchop, bacon, loin, etc.  it actually looks great.  And it tastes great at first...and then there’s that after taste...it bites you...I can’t swallow it and have to eat peanut butter.  This was my pot belly pig.  He was very very old and very very fat.  Castrated.  He does soak the meat in allll kinds of stuff.  Worchester sauce, mustards, etc.  We don’t eat much fat and try not to eat much salt, but I’ll show him this thread and see if gives him helpful tips.  Soured corn?  Do they sell that at a regular feed store?  Never heard of that.  Can I feed Slim Jim regular stuff too...or just the soured corn?  He’s growing...Chris thinks a pound a day?  I know he’s huge!  We hope to ‘have’ him by Easter, maybe sooner at this rate.  But he eats a lot of scraps from friends.  I’d hate to cut out ‘free food’. But...if it ruins his taste..then, it’s worth it!!  Thanks!!


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 12, 2020)

Amaggio said:


> I completely understand where you're coming from. As i woman i find it very hard to butcher my own animals because they are like pets. You put all this love and care into their raising, you see their personalities blossom, find their favorite foods, how can you not treat them like part of the family? But when i started my homestead i made a decision to do even the emotionally hard jobs because this is reality, life. Your pig lived so well, you took such good care of it, and now it's going to take good care of you by giving you nourishment. I always thank my animals before i butcher them for that very reason. It gives me some closer and reminds me their sacrifice is what lets me live a healthy life. It sounds to me like you never got your closer. What you're feeling isn't wrong, it's just heavy sorrow from your loss. Do your best to find a way to get that closer, to really say goodbye and thank you. Then maybe you can enjoy your meals again knowing that sacrifice wasn't in vain.


I believe you are right...Chris hasn’t either.  We both can’t even talk about ‘him’ yet.  We did it to make room for my new goats, which is a tough burden.....for both of us.  Thanks for the help!


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## Beekissed (Feb 12, 2020)

Duckfarmerpa1 said:


> Soured corn? Do they sell that at a regular feed store? Never heard of that. Can I feed Slim Jim regular stuff too...or just the soured corn?



Soured corn is just fermented corn or any kind of fermented feed, which is easy to produce on your own.  You'll not be able to buy it anywhere, though you can get spent grains from people who make their own beer...not quite the same thing but close enough.  

To ferment your feed, just add water to over the feed about 4 in.(the feed may swell and absorb all that water but that's fine) and let it sit for a few days in a place that's 50* or more...you can stir it a few times the first day or so.  When it starts to smell a little yeasty or slightly sour, you can feed it out....but keep a little of it to jump start the next bucket and with that jump start, you should be able to batch some each day without having to wait a few days for it to ferment.   Sort of like making sourdough bread but with corn or other grain feeds instead.  

Been using it for 9 yrs now for the chickens and would never go back to dry feed.   If I had pigs, they'd be eating it every day as well....they will fatten quicker, be healthier and will use less feed than they did before.  I use almost half of the feed amounts I used to with the chickens, so it's a huge savings, not to mention how good the eggs and meat taste~everything is sweeter!


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 12, 2020)

Beekissed said:


> Soured corn is just fermented corn or any kind of fermented feed, which is easy to produce on your own.  You'll not be able to buy it anywhere, though you can get spent grains from people who make their own beer...not quite the same thing but close enough.
> 
> To ferment your feed, just add water to over the feed about 4 in.(the feed may swell and absorb all that water but that's fine) and let it sit for a few days in a place that's 50* or more...you can stir it a few times the first day or so.  When it starts to smell a little yeasty or slightly sour, you can feed it out....but keep a little of it to jump start the next bucket and with that jump start, you should be able to batch some each day without having to wait a few days for it to ferment.   Sort of like making sourdough bread but with corn or other grain feeds instead.
> 
> Been using it for 9 yrs now for the chickens and would never go back to dry feed.   If I had pigs, they'd be eating it every day as well....they will fatten quicker, be healthier and will use less feed than they did before.  I use almost half of the feed amounts I used to with the chickens, so it's a huge savings, not to mention how good the eggs and meat taste~everything is sweeter!


Ohh, wait, we’ve been getting stuff, umm, beer grain from the local brewery.  Is that the same?  I’ve been telling Chris not to let the chickens have it...he does anyway.  Our farmer friend brought to us since it’s free.  We love a good deal!


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## Baymule (Feb 12, 2020)

I usually keep several buckets of sour corn working. I put an amount in a bucket that the pigs can eat over 24 hours and cover with water, plus some. Like @Beekissed said, it will absorb the water and swell up. Over several days it ferments or sours. It can get smelly, the pigs go nuts for it. They drink the water too. My feeding program if free choice pellets and soured corn. 6-4 weeks before slaughter, I take away the pellets and finish them on soured corn. They also get boiled eggs and scraps. 

I think you are experiencing “taint” from your pig. Very very old and very very fat, his age could have something to do with it. Taint can be nasty. Roughage can help with taint if you ever slaughter another old pig. We bought 2 big older pigs a few years ago. I gave them hay soaked in sour milk. I don’t know if they had taint to start with, but I threw everything at them. The meat was good.


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 12, 2020)

Baymule said:


> I usually keep several buckets of sour corn working. I put an amount in a bucket that the pigs can eat over 24 hours and cover with water, plus some. Like @Beekissed said, it will absorb the water and swell up. Over several days it ferments or sours. It can get smelly, the pigs go nuts for it. They drink the water too. My feeding program if free choice pellets and soured corn. 6-4 weeks before slaughter, I take away the pellets and finish them on soured corn. They also get boiled eggs and scraps.
> 
> I think you are experiencing “taint” from your pig. Very very old and very very fat, his age could have something to do with it. Taint can be nasty. Roughage can help with taint if you ever slaughter another old pig. We bought 2 big older pigs a few years ago. I gave them hay soaked in sour milk. I don’t know if they had taint to start with, but I threw everything at them. The meat was good.


Ok, that sounds good to know.  Once again, I will tell Chris all of this!!  Thanks a ton!


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## Grant (Feb 12, 2020)

I agree, just read through this. I think it’s based on age more than anything.


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## Beekissed (Feb 12, 2020)

Duckfarmerpa1 said:


> Ohh, wait, we’ve been getting stuff, umm, beer grain from the local brewery.  Is that the same?  I’ve been telling Chris not to let the chickens have it...he does anyway.  Our farmer friend brought to us since it’s free.  We love a good deal!



Not quite the same, as those are spent grains....different nutritional value but still has some good probios in it and super nutrition.  By all means, go ahead and use it, but I'd cut it with a lower protein feed/grain, as it's pretty high in protein and too much can often be worse than not enough when it comes to animal health...especially for the chickens.    






						Diggin' In -  What Is the Nutritional Value of Spent Grain?
					

Our Events Specialist Megan digs into the nutrition of brewers' spent grain. Read on to learn more!



					www.barleylabs.com


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## Derb (Feb 22, 2020)

First of all huge hugs. I can’t even imagine. Is there any way you can trade meat with an acquaintance? Or when I was growing up my mom would mix packages together with others less loved.


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## Mini Horses (Feb 22, 2020)

*What is boar taint and how can it be prevented?*
As male pigs reach puberty, they start producing andosterone, a male sex hormone, and skatole, a digestive by-product formed in the intestines. The production of andosterone and skatole is responsible for boar taint, an unpleasant odour and taste found in meat from some (not all) entire male pigs. The risk of boar taint cannot be completely eliminated by slaughtering entire male pigs before they reach puberty

All about hormones. Differs from one to another.  Some breeds are more inclined than others.  As you can see, ONE of the major hormones is digestive.   So feed can help.    Also, they say "mostly" in the fats.  If well marbled, there it is.   

I will say that my 2 American Guinea Hog boars were not tainted at all.   The breed is not known to be a producer of taint.   The were not castrated either.  In fact, had bred my two sows about 2 months prior to their butchering.   

Seems you just "got one" that was old and stinky.


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## Ridgetop (Feb 22, 2020)

Since the pig was castrated, but very old and very fat, I agree with Baymule, Grant and Beekissed that the taint was probably due to his age and what he was fed.  

Fat in meat is what gives it flavor so if the pig was very fat and also very old, any off flavors from what he was eating would have been sored in that fat layer over the years.  A friend bought a Fair pig one year and to save money the FFA boy had supplemented the more expensive grain rations with fish meal.  The entire pig tasted of fish.  It was inedible.  

We had dairy goats in milk when we raised our pigs and we made our sour corn by filling a bucket half full of rolled corn and  pouring several gallons of milk over it.  We did this after the morning milking and let it sit all day then fed it in the evening.  Then we repeated this procedure and fed that mix in the morning.  Wonderful pork.

We have butchered and eaten yearling rams - not castrated - and there was no bad flavor.  However, they were just one year old, no older.  When butchering, if the animal is upset or belligerent, adrenaline makes the meat tough.  Most butchers try to move slowly so as not to upset the animals more than necessary.  

I suggest that you grind up all that pork, freeze it in 1 or 2 lb. packages, and just feed it to your dogs.  If you have too much meat for your dogs, sell it to neighbors as dog meat.  That way it does not go to waste, and but will not have to force yourselves eat it.  If you think making sausage and seasoning it heavily would make it more palatable, by all means try that.  In future, I suggest that when you butcher animals you sell the meat to others, or trade it for meat from friends.  That way you won't feel you are eating your pets, and there will be no possible emotional tainting of the flavor.  Eventually, you will be able to deal with butchering animals you have raised.  

_*Producing your own food is a part of the circle of life.  Raising and butchering animals for food is not something to be ashamed of or to shrink from.  We owe any animal in our care good food, clean water, shelter, kindness in handling, any necessary medical attention, and an easy death when it is time.  That is all we can do.  They give to us and we give to them*_.  _*We are grateful to them for sustaining us.  At least we know that they were raised gently and met a kind end at our hands.*_

*I hope you can feel better about this.  *


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## Duckfarmerpa1 (Feb 22, 2020)

Yes, this does make me feel somewhat better.  All these posts have.  I suppose, it’s just, this is so new to us.  So, it’s not easy.  And, we didn’t think, when we got him, that we’d eat him...due to age and fat, etc.  but, we ended up getting a lot of animals and we need space.  Etc.  We have a ton of goat milk!  So, that is a great tip!  We can offer the meat to neighbors and see if they want to buy it?  All they can say is no?  We did make some sausage...it was the same deal.  On the upside, Chris made some spare ribs in the crockpot yesterday...after a day of cooking, they were great!   So, he might start cooking everything that way?  But...I think Slim Jim will definitely be eating soured corn ASAP!  We hope to butcher him for Easter!  PS...we bought a little male mini pig today...same stinky smell..but, that’s ok, he’s meant to breed!


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