Yum!
January 26, 2013
Yesterday, I taught my son how to walk a pig 😮 We used an old-fashioned pig crate. It is a rectangle wooden box, a little larger than the size of a pig, with no bottom. The pig goes in by way of a sliding door. Two men carry the box by handles on each end. They carry it just up off the ground. The pig walks along because he doesn’t like the box touching it’s rear end.
We walked the pigs 200 feet from my son’s barn to my trailer. We made a ramp out of white pine 2×6 inch planks. The pig walks right up the ramp and into the trailer. My son was amazed. The pigs went along without a squeal. They snuggled down in the straw in the trailer and spent the night that way in my driveway.
This morning we butchered the pigs. They were dispatched quickly, quietly and humanely. We killed them out on the snow. They were bled out there. We then skinned and finished the job in the shelter of the new slaughterhouse. It is far from finished, but worked very well to keep us out of the wind and cold.
We left the carcasses hanging to cool while we cut and hauled two loads of firewood. The snow is deep. The ground is not frozen underneath. The horses pulled us through the deep snow like we weighed next to nothing at all. We made two trips to the woods and back, filling two pick up trucks with firewood.
Our farm had some visitors today as well. A friend of mine who lives in the city, brought his grandchildren out to see the farm. They got to see all the animals and the farm by way of a horse drawn sled ride. I am sure they are still talking about it. They left happy, cold and still brimming with excitement.
Once the trucks were loaded, we unharnessed the horses. They were given a drink and some hay. We all gathered in the garage to cut up the now cooled pigs. In just under two hours, the pork was all cut, trimmed and ready for the freezer. It was great looking, fresh pork. I am sure many meals will be enjoyed thanks to those two piggies.
I had a wonderful day. I finished up just after 5 pm. One more trip to the barn to check on everybody, walk the dog and enjoy the view of the full moon. I am tired, but satisfied and will go to bed with a greatful, thankful heart.
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RicelandMeadows 
If you need a strong back and a willing student, give me a call when the next round is headed to freezer camp:) Would love to watch someone who actually knows how to butcher a hog before we raise them next year. Otherwise I know there will be a lot of extra sausage:) Have a great day!
Comment by Mark January 28, 2013 @ 11:41 am-Mark
Mark, I will be glad to let you watch and learn. Keep in mind, you can always grind your mistakes 😮
Comment by ricelandmeadows January 28, 2013 @ 3:08 pm