Well its all done and dusted.
The pigs were collected the Wednesday after taking them in to slaughter, and we started to butcher them ourselves on that morning, we collected the three pigs on the Wednesday as all three were ready, and so three of us had the a lot of work to do!
I was surprised how therapeutic it was! In fact i found it so therapeutic, that i wanted to do them all and not let my partner or friend have a go, but of course i didn't tell them that hahah
We collected the three pig carcass' in the morning, and started to do the job at about 11.30 ish, I had (with the help of my partner) butchered one half before my friend turned up at 1.30pm, we then decided that it was silly her taking her pig home to butcher, especially when we had all the tools and equipment out and sterilised ready ... so she did hers here at our home(with our help) and made sure everything was not only clean, but also not mixed up.
Afterwards, when my friend had gone home, with a very large box of joints, chops, rolls, sausages, bacon etc...we got down to doing the second half of the first pig!
First we cut off the hind leg(to be our Christmas ham), then the next cut was was horizontally up the belly, separating the belly from the ribs, we then cut the hock away, and separated the gammon, a few chops later and a few slices in my own hand, and the second half of the pig was done!
we decided to do the last pig the next morning, but as we didn't have a fridge big enough, we left it in the boot of the car, it was going to be a cold night anyway, so it would act like a large fridge!
The following morning, my partner had butchered the first half of the second pig, before i had even opened my eyes! he was just so keen!
I finished the second half later that morning, we had 4 hams, several bags of chops and bacon, we flavoured the sausages, my favourite one is the honey and sage! hmmm yummy! And we now have a freezer full of various joints and rolls.
The ham's are now in the spare room, one in salt(drying to make our version of Palma ham), one in the freezer(later to be smoked), one in a brine with a beer and molasses mix, and one in a brine and mulled wine mix(our Christmas ham).
Also this week...I have managed to get my web site up and running, and although at the moment people can only buy items with Pay pal...(I hope to add cards very soon)... they can still buy, which is the main thing...I only hope customers do now though, its been hard work...and with my partner being threatened with redundancy as there is no work at present...i really need this to work!
The website for those who wish to look, is www.thegleefulgoat.co.uk i do hope you all enjoy the site.
Friday 27 November 2009
Monday 16 November 2009
What a time of it!
Well my feelings were OK...Twice a day i have been feeding these pigs, scratching their backs, giving them a rub...chasing them out of next doors fields etc....it was like have two black Labradors running amok around the place, and yes i can see how people get very attached to them.
So I was surprised on my feelings this morning....or should i say the lack of them...but then that could of been the early morning feeling too, we were up at 5am, and left for the abattoir at 6am...too tired and busy to feel any remorse.
I have to say, it wasn't that easy though!
Firstly, my partners car, it got us there, or rather it struggled to get us there, doing 10 miles an hour up the slightest hill....the emissions warning light came on last week, so the car had lost its power...i think pulling the trailer for an hour just pushed it over the edge!
Anyway, we struggled on, and got to the abattoir with little problem. The pigs were sleeping in the trailer, so they seemed happy enough.
We pulled into the car park, and I went into the reception to get the relevant paperwork, and was told that once i had filled in the forms, we were to drive the trailer through the gates round the back....so I filled in the form and returned to the car, where my partner was waiting...he turned the key, and....nothing! the car had finally died...right when we didn't want it to, and with only yards to go! how frustrating!
So, a few phone calls...and lots of left messages(no one answering, for one reason or another), and were had gotten no where!
We walked round to where we were suppose to drive the trailer round, and spoke to a girl, who, in turn took us to another nice girl...who took us to a man, who lent us a van with a tow bar, to get the pigs in!
We got the pigs in to find that the pigs were happy in the trailer, so much so, that one of them just rolled over and went back to sleep!, My poor partner had to get in there with them to push them out!
then we left the van and the trailer where it was and walked back to the car, we rang a friend who came out and towed the car back home...and then we rang yet another friend with a tow bar and asked if she would drive back with us to collect the trailer! thankfully she agreed and we managed to get it back OK
But, we have one more pig to get to the abattoir, and as we ran out of time(which wouldn't of happened if the car had been working fine), we have asked the same friend to go again tomorrow, but this time with a pig on tow!
Thank goodness for great friends!!!
So I was surprised on my feelings this morning....or should i say the lack of them...but then that could of been the early morning feeling too, we were up at 5am, and left for the abattoir at 6am...too tired and busy to feel any remorse.
I have to say, it wasn't that easy though!
Firstly, my partners car, it got us there, or rather it struggled to get us there, doing 10 miles an hour up the slightest hill....the emissions warning light came on last week, so the car had lost its power...i think pulling the trailer for an hour just pushed it over the edge!
Anyway, we struggled on, and got to the abattoir with little problem. The pigs were sleeping in the trailer, so they seemed happy enough.
We pulled into the car park, and I went into the reception to get the relevant paperwork, and was told that once i had filled in the forms, we were to drive the trailer through the gates round the back....so I filled in the form and returned to the car, where my partner was waiting...he turned the key, and....nothing! the car had finally died...right when we didn't want it to, and with only yards to go! how frustrating!
So, a few phone calls...and lots of left messages(no one answering, for one reason or another), and were had gotten no where!
We walked round to where we were suppose to drive the trailer round, and spoke to a girl, who, in turn took us to another nice girl...who took us to a man, who lent us a van with a tow bar, to get the pigs in!
We got the pigs in to find that the pigs were happy in the trailer, so much so, that one of them just rolled over and went back to sleep!, My poor partner had to get in there with them to push them out!
then we left the van and the trailer where it was and walked back to the car, we rang a friend who came out and towed the car back home...and then we rang yet another friend with a tow bar and asked if she would drive back with us to collect the trailer! thankfully she agreed and we managed to get it back OK
But, we have one more pig to get to the abattoir, and as we ran out of time(which wouldn't of happened if the car had been working fine), we have asked the same friend to go again tomorrow, but this time with a pig on tow!
Thank goodness for great friends!!!
Saturday 7 November 2009
Fun on the small-holding!
Well it started good.
It was my partners birthday Yesterday, so we did what he wanted to...like go to B&Q for some hooks and spend the day out doing things...anyway, we got back home about 2.30-ish...and as we parked, I said to him
"that looks like our pig in next doors field!?"
And sure enough...Pepper had gotten out of her new fenced area into next doors field! So my partner, grabbed the bucket of feed and rattled it while i took apart the fencing yet again( you may remember me doing so last time for Salt), and he guided Pepper back in, with me fixing the fencing again behind them!
While he was fixing the pen, I took the shopping in and made a late lunch...he came in and sat down telling me that's them sorted.
About an hour later...I saw a chicken out...so i herded her back in, turned around to see Pepper was in the Barn with her head in the bucket of pig feed!
So out we put her back in the pen and as my partner fixed the fencing higher, she disappeared again! This time she was in a different field that belonged to the neighbour!
She had yet another hole she had made in a different part of the fence! Grr
So while my partner herded her back again, I put the goats away, so we could put the pigs into the goat paddock (goats being escape artists, cant get out, so neither should the pigs be able to), then he had to put the pig pen in there....well that was a farce!
Firstly my partner got in, and lifted the sty onto his back so he was like a turtle...he then staggered across the boggy mud and pig muck...only to step out of his welly and straight in the middle of it all!...the air turned blue, and i .... well i laughed to be honest....he then walked through the rest of the area to the paddock with only one welly!
After everything was finally sorted(including putting the chicken away again), I couldn't help but giggle again, when i watched my partner walk to the house, with one welly on...one muddy sock on and carrying his other welly in his hand...i really should of taken a picture at that point! Hahaha.
Today we are dispatching some ducks!...we have 6 to dispatch, we bred them for meat, so we didn't get attached to them....hmmm roast duck for dinner tonight!! although it would be a little tough...so maybe we will wait till after they have been hung for a day or two!
chat soon xxx
It was my partners birthday Yesterday, so we did what he wanted to...like go to B&Q for some hooks and spend the day out doing things...anyway, we got back home about 2.30-ish...and as we parked, I said to him
"that looks like our pig in next doors field!?"
And sure enough...Pepper had gotten out of her new fenced area into next doors field! So my partner, grabbed the bucket of feed and rattled it while i took apart the fencing yet again( you may remember me doing so last time for Salt), and he guided Pepper back in, with me fixing the fencing again behind them!
While he was fixing the pen, I took the shopping in and made a late lunch...he came in and sat down telling me that's them sorted.
About an hour later...I saw a chicken out...so i herded her back in, turned around to see Pepper was in the Barn with her head in the bucket of pig feed!
So out we put her back in the pen and as my partner fixed the fencing higher, she disappeared again! This time she was in a different field that belonged to the neighbour!
She had yet another hole she had made in a different part of the fence! Grr
So while my partner herded her back again, I put the goats away, so we could put the pigs into the goat paddock (goats being escape artists, cant get out, so neither should the pigs be able to), then he had to put the pig pen in there....well that was a farce!
Firstly my partner got in, and lifted the sty onto his back so he was like a turtle...he then staggered across the boggy mud and pig muck...only to step out of his welly and straight in the middle of it all!...the air turned blue, and i .... well i laughed to be honest....he then walked through the rest of the area to the paddock with only one welly!
After everything was finally sorted(including putting the chicken away again), I couldn't help but giggle again, when i watched my partner walk to the house, with one welly on...one muddy sock on and carrying his other welly in his hand...i really should of taken a picture at that point! Hahaha.
Today we are dispatching some ducks!...we have 6 to dispatch, we bred them for meat, so we didn't get attached to them....hmmm roast duck for dinner tonight!! although it would be a little tough...so maybe we will wait till after they have been hung for a day or two!
chat soon xxx
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