Feeder Pigs 2017

[Mike Todd]

I also prefer Apple for pork. I use it for my ribs and butts. I grew up in the south so we also used a lot of hickory as well. I have dabbled with Cherry for bacon but it is harder for me to find.

 

[Baymule]

Bacon cure for me is 1 gallon maple syrup, 2 pounds fine sea salt, 2 pounds brown sugar, 2 tbs pepper. Then add water till bacon is covered. This is a great bacon cure. I go minimum 5 days soak. Then a good hot smoke. Works good on ham too but isn't the best. Does make the best bacon in my opinion. Im working on a better ham cure but im starting to think aged is the best. So im getting everything together to build a curing chamber. My only advise would be to smoke with apple and maple wood. I find it has a perfect smoke flavor with those woods. And make sute you hit your temps. What is your wood of choice?

A gallon of maple syrup? Haha, in Texas we are somewhat maple syrup challenged, not to mention apple and maple wood deficit as well. I have thought about curing and smoking my own bacon and your post is very inspiring. We have a Coleman Extreme ice cooler and our neighbor has an ice machine, so even with our hot weather, the soaking in water could be done. If I couldn't lay my hands on a gallon of maple syrup, what else would you recommend? I suppose I would have to use oak and hickory wood for smoking.

We have a date set of August 29 for taking the pigs to slaughter, but I am leaning towards trying to slaughter my own. Would it be too much to ask you for a slaughter thread? (and @tag me so I can find it?)

 

[Mike Todd]

+1 on a slaughter thread. The neighbor and I have talked about it some. We both process deer and chickens so how much more differen can a hog be? LoL.

 

[Baymule]

I've cut up feral hogs, but that's not exactly making bacon and pork chops, LOL. I've processed deer into steaks and stuffed smoked sausage, just don't get it when people take a deer to a processor, they are pretty easy.

 

[Red the butcher]

The mason jars are my half of this years maple syrup run. And the other pic is my syrup arch. We got a late start this year so thats all the homemade syrup i got. Realizing now just how spoiled i am with being able to do that. God i love new England! hate hate hate the taxes but love this place! As far as a substitute for maple syrup. ..... I guess you could use the fake stuff but that just seams so wrong to me. Pigs are very very easy to butcher. I do everything with my knife and a sawzal blade attached to a handle. I can work on a wright up. Same as a deer or any critter really. I learned to do it because i couldn't justify paying 300 bucks to raise a pig then another 300 to process it. Just nuts in my book. Plus i make good money at it. Get an old fridge from craigslist that works and make a cooler out of it. Thats what i hang mine in. Ill get sone pics and work on a thread.

 

[Bossroo]

Yes, pigs are easy to butcher, however I would recomend that you have a flame throwing type of torch to burn off the pig's hair after you dispatch the pig and before you evicerate it. much easier, faster and more sanitary too. Pig skin , pig nuckles, and head are VERY TASTEY too. Everything but the squeel on the pig is edible !

 

[OneFineAcre]

Exactly. Plus they already had the fencing so we are both in it for a lower cost. We are hoping to feed the pigs out to 250-300lbs and my hope is to be in each pig for $2 a pound butchered. I work in a skilled nursing facility with two kitchens and will be getting green scraps from them every day. Part will go to my chickens and part to the pigs to keep feed cost down.

That's doable.
I just did 3 and had $1.59/lb hanging weight in the first one. I had $365 total in him and his hanging weight was 230. It was $35 for the pig, $130 for feed and $200 for slaughter, butcher and vacuum packing. Bacon is uncured, but it includes sausage.

I didn't feed any scraps. I get pig feed for $9/50lbs from local mill.

Due to logistics the 2nd went 2 weeks later, and the 3rd 2 weeks after that. I cut back on how much they were being fed, but still had a little more in them. They were 230, 225, and 235 lbs hanging weight.
This is the first one. We had all of the sausage made into patty. Gave Maurine's mom and dad the 2nd one. We had the last one all made into link sausage.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

You must have a really big freezer!! (or 3)

 

[OneFineAcre]

You must have a really big freezer!! (or 3)

I have a big chest freezer and another small chest freezer.
Going to need to make some room when we take the steers.
That had to be scheduled 3 months in advance and the date is July 11th.

 

[Red the butcher]

Yes, pigs are easy to butcher, however I would recomend that you have a flame throwing type of torch to burn off the pig's hair after you dispatch the pig and before you evicerate it. much easier, faster and more sanitary too. Pig skin , pig nuckles, and head are VERY TASTEY too. Everything but the squeel on the pig is edible !

Why would you lrave the skin on? They then hang the pig with skin and you pay to cut and wrap it while 95 percent of it ends up in the gut pile.