Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[LisaP]

Our first two pigs, who we got as weaners back in July, went on their final journey yesterday.

 

It wasn't as bad taking them as OH and I had worried it would be but it does feel strange without them here now a part of me is relieved as I was finding them increasingly more challenging to look after, they were lovely friendly pigs who were just totally unaware of their size and strength and this was always the plan for them.

 

We'll be going back to collect them, so to speak tomorrow.

 

Lisa P

[kinsk]

The journey back with them will be much easier

[Lesley]

Yes, coming back without them always feels a bit strange and sad - but, like you, I had always had enough by October! Last year we kept some over winter and were lucky that it wasn't too wet and muddy so we didn't have any this Spring.

 

Are you butchering them yourselves?

[craftyhunnypie]

Well done!

I can't imagine life without our pigs. However, our girls are here to stay. Their piglets ( eventually ) however will be sent off, they will not have names.

I admire you.

Emma.x

[Lesley]

they will not have names.

 

Emma.x

 

....I bet they do

[Space Chick]

Glad it wasn't as bad as you expected If you have too much meat and want to sell some to a neighbour (of sorts) give me a shout

[craftyhunnypie]

I bet it will be the best pork you've ever tasted!

 

No no Lesley, got to be strict with myself. Only the ' keepers' get named.

Emma.x

[LisaP]

Thank you for your replies

 

It's actually been a strange few days with emotions a bit up and down, we did cope with it better than anticipated possibly because we were not quite so enamoured with them by the time we had managed to get them in the

trailer, more just relieved that we had and hadn't missed our "appointment" I'm still missing them at the moment, although to be honest with the current vile weather we're having here I'm also relieved

OH was the one who suddenly declared on Friday that he wasn't sure he could go through with it again this was a bit of a shock as this was always part and parcel of the whole plan of moving to a smallholding Anyway turns out that whilst sitting in a traffic jam on the M4 Thursday morning, he'd actually started thinking about them and realised that he missed them too and just wasn't entirely sure how he felt for a while he just needed a little time to get his head around it I think

 

The abattoir did the butchery for us this time although it is something we'd like to learn how to do ourselves. We have a variety of cuts, joints and sausages of various flavours and we'll be collecting the bacon in a couple of weeks. We also have a big bag of mince so that we can make some of our own sausages, in fact OH and our two youngest boys have already had a go

 

Apparently the sausages, both professional and homemade and the chops they've had so far, are absolutely out of this world Just the same as not being able to go back to shop bought eggs once you've got chickens, they'll be no shop bought sausages any more Of course being vegetarian I can only take their word for it

 

We were very clear too that these pigs were not pets and were simply called Pig 1 and Pig 2 and the next ones will be Pig 3 and Pig 4 and so on. I would love to get some kune kunes, for me to keep as pets.

 

Debs, don't know if there will be any 'spare' at the moment but will certainly let you know if there is

 

Lisa P

[craftyhunnypie]

Will know who to shout then when my Kune Kunes have piglets!

Wow - you are amazing to have done all that you have done being a vegetarian!

 

Wondered what abbatoir you used?

Emma.x

[LisaP]

Ooh yes please Emma, top of your list for piglets if you have any spare, would definitely have to be given names though

 

We used the abattoir in Tregaron, so just down the road from you. It was obviously our first experience of using one but we are happy with it, it is a small set up and Neil who runs it is very nice. You are actually booked in with an appointment and the animals are handled with compassion.

 

Yes I am veggie and Neil (at the abattoir) was a little taken aback at first but I explained that I had taken care with raising the pigs and I wanted their departure to be handled with care too and he was with that. Although both myself and DD are veggie, OH and 3 sons are not and I am used to cooking meat and fish for them and to know where it has come from is brilliant We also have 4 table birds that we're currently raising, un-named and living in a separate eglu, another first for us

 

Lisa

[Lesley]

Lisa - I'd been vegetarian for 25 years until we started raising our own animals and table birds....I still only eat what we've raIsed ourselves or know the provenance of.

 

Your abattoir sounds like the small one we use here - ours were a bit surprised that I was veggie.......but they soon got used to it.....and my pink Crocs wellies

[LisaP]

Lesley, don't envisage eating meat again but who knows, never envisaged myself raising pigs either It is a very satisfying feeling though, now that we've done it

 

The abattoirs do sound similar, small and friendly, ours even reversed the trailer for us because OH isn't totally au fait with it yet

[craftyhunnypie]

Ahh thought it would be the Tregaron one! Good to know that they are good & animals treated with compassion. That puts my mind at rest.

Presume they do the butchering? Or do they then send the carcass to a local butcher for you to pick up once jointed & turned to sausage etc? Did you have to state what size joints you wanted - as I've heard sometimes they do large jointing - suitable more for families of 10 people plus! he he There's just the 2 of us.

Thanks..

Emma.x

[LisaP]

They do the butchering there too, if you want them to. Neil is very helpful and will do what you request but will offer suggestions too - he certainly knows his stuff.

 

He is also quite happy for you to go and visit before you book and that is what we did, to be honest we didn't have a clue and he talked us through the whole process.

 

You do need to book quite well in advance, he booked us in when we went to visit 7 weeks before. I think the fact that he is very busy is a good sign

 

Lisa