|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 9:48:31 GMT -6
Well- I finally remembered to get my camera ready and take it to a hog killin'  so....here goes! THE PICS ARE GRAPHIC!!You have been warned! OK- first we had to get all the things together that we use. Here are a few "prep" shots- Here are Richard(my neighbor- camo shirt), Big Kevin(orange shirt), and Little Kevin(back to camera- grey sweatshirt) getting the scalding vat all ready to go. The rusty thing underneath is where the fire is-  Filling the scalding vat-  My "crew" from left to right- Little Kevin, Big Kevin, and Richard  We had gone out the day before to clean and bleach the tables, cutting boards, etc we would need to cut the hogs up, so that they could air out and the bleach would have time to evaporate. More to come... |
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 9:56:34 GMT -6
Next- while the water was heating in the scalding vat- we went to try and get the hogs in a trailer-  They were not having any of the trailer(smart hogs  ) so we had to go in after them. I did not get any "kill" shots, but what happens is the pigs are shot about an inch above and directly between their eyes with a .22 rifle. As soon as they fall- you immediately cut their carotid(jugular.... also called "sticking the pig" or cutting the throat) so they will bleed out properly. Here are the first two after being shot and stuck-  And one of the white pig after being washed off before scalding-  You can see the hole in the neck where the hog was stuck to bleed out. More in next post... |
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 10:24:36 GMT -6
Once the hog has bled well, and been washed off good. Make sure the water in the scalding vat is between 145° and 165° Farenheit. Have some chains or rope to move the pig from the vat. I forgot to get a pic of how to place them, but basically- you want them(chains) between the front and hind legs, underneath the hog. When the hog goes in the vat- you use the chains to move it around and flip it over so that it is scalded evenly. You want to scald the hog until the hair and top layer of skin come off easily when scraped or pulled. Then the chains are used to roll the hog out of the vat and onto a grate or table for scraping. We used a grate on saw horses.  You can see the color difference. The darker parts have not been scraped yet. This has to be done quickly and you may have to pour more hot water over hard to scrape areas until the entire hog(from head to toe) is clean. Here I am at the foot of the hog-  And the finished hog-  Then you cut the hind feet to expose the hock tendon to hang the hog by. That looks like this- Cutting the skin to expose it  And the exposed tendon-  Then you place a "dowel" or "spreader on hooks in the tendon to hang the hog. Like this-  More in next post... |
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 11:18:12 GMT -6
Once the spreader is in place- you can use a rope over a limb and a tractor, or use a winch(wench?) to hang the hog up high enough to gut it. We used a tariler winch like this- Doug has attached the winch to the spreader and is winding it up slowly to raise the hog.  More pics of the "raising" part-   Note how we are "guiding" the head off the table to keep all the weight from dropping at once so we can make sure the winch doesn't tip over. That would NOT be good. Then you have a cleaned hog that is dirty. That makes for one pissed off hog cleaner. Then we moved the hogs to a tree limb that has been rigged to hang them from. Being careful(once again) not to let the hog touch the ground-  And a pic of all the hogs hanging(we killed 4 on Thursday) with all the kids and adults hanging around...this is a "family" thing in the south  |
|
|
|
Post by digger48 on Mar 16, 2009 12:12:21 GMT -6
That hog mover is a good thing. Think I will try and copy that. We do our own butchering also. You guys do a right nice job on em.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2009 12:15:09 GMT -6
Great job bb.....man, that takes me back alot of years As you say, it's a "phamily" thang in the south........i used to love hog killin time.....it was alot of work, but it sure was worth it. Everyone had a job to do, even the kids......carriein meat to the women pholk, packin water, gettin wood and keepin the fire goin.....what wonderful days..........and what dinners............the tinderloin from the first hog was what we always had when we took our break(dinner time) from the butcherin. Pholks, if ya ain't never had a dinner on hog killin days, ya just don't know what yer missin.......lordy, lordy was it good......fresh tenderloin, biskits, mashed taters, and all the home canned stuff from the garden.....and don't ferget the "red eye gravy"..............damn, i just talked maself into the munchies  bb, you got some karma commin for this  |
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 12:31:12 GMT -6
Once the hogs are hung, then the gutting begins. You start by cutting the throat from the center of the neck up to the "breast area and then from side to side from the center to just beside each ear- Here is yours truly doing the gutting-  Then you start at the other end of the hog and cut through the skin to expose the intestines(careful not to nick the intestines) and cut down to the cut in the neck area.    Then you use a saw to cut through the pelvic bones so you can have access to the large intestine/rectum area for removal-  Once that is done- you go to the other side of the pig and cut out the rectum area so that you can remove the intestines   Then you remove the intestines-   Once they are removed- you discard all except the liver, "melt" (or spleen), heart, and lungs.  Remove the gallbladder from the liver being SUPER careful not to cut it open- it will contaminate the liver and make it bitter. More in next post.... |
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 16, 2009 12:55:19 GMT -6
Once the organs to be kept are saved- you rinse the pig and let it hang(we hung ours overnight) ![]() i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/botesbabe/Hog Killing/IMG_5079.jpg[/IMG] and then you cut up the meat, wrap it and enjoy! Cavey- we had liver, a little lean meat, and the heart and melt cooked in a pot of rice- BOY, was it awesome!  Here's me after gutting ours- ![]() i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/botesbabe/Hog Killing/IMG_5078.jpg[/IMG] The liver on the table and me trimming the heart- ![]() i32.photobucket.com/albums/d31/botesbabe/Hog Killing/IMG_5077.jpg[/IMG] And our soon to be cooked lunch of liver, melt, heart and rice with a little lean meat thrown in. YUMMM!!  Any questions?? I did not get pics of the cutting of the meat. That was just Richard and I and we had our hands too busy to be taking pics. We did get one, but I haven't gotten it off the camera yet..... |
|
|
|
Post by Rita on Mar 16, 2009 13:18:24 GMT -6
WOW Tonya ya did a great Job with this .. Great Great Job!!
|
|
|
|
Post by botebum on Mar 16, 2009 13:57:29 GMT -6
You all need to be told that Tonya worked her butt off for two very solid days on the killing and butchering. I helped out with the killin', totin' and scrapin' but Tonya deserves a hearty round of applause for all the work she did.
Let me give you an idea- She left the house around 6:30 Thurs. morning and worked till well after dark. She left around 7:30 Fri. morning and butchered till almost 4, when she had to leave to take Summer to her Dad. She got back from dropping off Summer around 8:30, changed, and headed back over to the farm. She got home at about 1am. On Sat. morning she got up and spent all day at a First Aid/CPR course that she needed to take for Girl Scouts. She got back from that around 5:30 and ran over to the farm again to cut and wrap the liver from the last hog(ours) and got back around 7. On Sunday morning she got herself and Scooter up and went to church and got home at close to 1. We let her sleep in till about 10:30 this morning because she was up half the night with Summer's vomiting.
Someday I might be worthy of such a great wife but I'm really gonna' have to work on it.
Doug
|
|
|
|
Post by Rita on Mar 16, 2009 15:31:28 GMT -6
Doug thanks for appreciating her .. I know she busts her ass to keep things going .. !! Its a real tough time right now .. Happy to see you all making it through this tough time right now!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Pharmer Phil on Mar 16, 2009 15:54:31 GMT -6
BRAVO Now Tha's the Kinda stuff Everyone needs to learn... Great pictorial BB, thats something that These days few people know how to do, let alone a lady your age. Now not so many years ago, every family would do this, like ya say, make a event of hog butcherin...Love that kinda thing, and YOU BET, nothin like cooking up fresh Killed meat... Tonya, You ROCK... Many Many thanks to You, the photograher, and EVERYONE involved... Now tell me Pholks, HOW MANY FORUMS YOU GONNA LEARN THIS ON???  Now Doug, did you decide to exalt her..before OR after you seen her wield that knife and gut dat hog...  |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2009 17:31:49 GMT -6
I''l tell y''all this........how many other women on here would do this?  ??.......raise yer hand........yeah, i did'nt thank so.....men too fer that matter. She is doin now what everyone did years back....befor we got too damned lazy to get off our ass and take care of ourselfs.....that was the only way of life.......i commend her She is an asset not only to this board, but to a way of life. Doug.......she's a keeper....one to ride the river with. Yer a lucky man As David Allan Coe would say....."If that ain't country, ill kiss yer ass" |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2009 17:35:34 GMT -6
Oh......BTW......there should be alot of karma goin her way |
|
|
|
Post by Rita on Mar 16, 2009 17:35:43 GMT -6
I used to a while back my dad had a slauter house .. use to bring home "gifts" to ma ... Eyeballs brains ect .. taught my man how to clean fish ect .. Yup if I could and had the means I so would in a Lack of heartbeat .. nothin like farm fresh food to make ya know your a lot healthier than the supermarket brand not so sure its meat  |
|
|
|
Post by Rita on Mar 16, 2009 17:58:48 GMT -6
Rita, Maybe I should explain- Nahhh. We love each other. We're really good right now. Really Good. G'nite(where's the damn wink emoticon!?) Doug Ya have to hit reply to get them .. not saying what you said was bad .. just that it sounded off to me... but that must be the west east northerner in me Don't forget we love tonya too  |
|
|
|
Post by CaveWoman on Mar 16, 2009 22:42:42 GMT -6
|
|
|
|
Post by lucy on Mar 17, 2009 1:21:45 GMT -6
The only thing I can change is, if Darrell comes to me and tells me we are getting some Hogs and I have to learn what you did----I'm leaving his ass!!! |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2009 4:08:12 GMT -6
I'm with Cavey - definitely brings back some good memories of my younger days. Of course, the pholks also saved da lungs and da intestines (for sausage casings and also for chitlins). Chitlins are an "acquired taste" - when Mama prepped 'em for cooking, those suckers were CLEAN when she got through. I could eat my weight in chitlins, but I didn't care for the lungs (or lights, as they're called down here). We'd also render out all the lard, saving it in metal 5 gallon buckets bought especially for that purpose.
Mama used to laugh about it, and said that the only thing we didn't use was the "oink"....
My older brothers told me about one time before I was born when the pholks, along with all the Aunts, Uncles and cousins butchered 9 hogs in one weekend.
I haven't personally butchered and cleaned a hog in years, but it's like riding a bicycle - you never forget.
Botesbabe and Botesbum - you both got a karma from me - Thanks for posting pics of the process for the uneducated.
Something tells me skills like this are going to be needed again, and SOON....
|
|
|
|
Post by ghoststomper on Mar 17, 2009 5:16:48 GMT -6
Great job Tonya , you are definitely getting karma for that. I admire you for all that you do. It is crazy though , I lived on a farm for 16 years and was never taught any of that , but I am not too proud to do it , if someone took the time to show me , I'd say let me get some boots and old clothes and it is time to learn. That is a very honest and respectable way of life and I highly admire anyone that does the honest way of living with gardens , butchering etc... Thumbs up to everyone.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2009 5:38:05 GMT -6
Tonya Ya deserve a huge Yer in there workin and doin it! I think i'd like a farm to raise cattle and hogs and when the time comes, all of us here at OPP would gather for the butcherin and then no member of our "phamily" would go without good meat or good friends! |
|
|
|
Post by Penny on Mar 17, 2009 5:46:56 GMT -6
I agree, hats off to you Tonya!!
|
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 17, 2009 11:53:11 GMT -6
Thanks you all! It was hard work, but it was soooo worth it! I have to get a pic of how full my freezer is right now We always used everything except the squeal is what my papaw always said I froze all my fat to make lard out of, but haven't gotten around to doing it yet  We are making sausage on Thursday and I will try to remember to get pics of that as well! |
|
|
|
Post by spuds on Mar 17, 2009 20:08:59 GMT -6
Super pictorial folks! And love the tie dye. .............  |
|
|
|
Post by spuds on Mar 17, 2009 20:13:34 GMT -6
BTW,if you ever get a chance to get pics of the meat cutting sure would appreciate that knowledge too.
SUPER JOB!
|
|
|
|
Post by Tonnymonk on Mar 18, 2009 6:10:02 GMT -6
Thanks Spuds! I missed the cutting pics this time, but we may be doing a couple more in a week or so so I'll try and get them then As for the tie dye- Doug and I both have one. We wore it to his brother and SIL's renewal of their vows back in 2002. They had a tie dye ceremony(they are HUGE deadheads(Grateful Dead) and even the bride had a tie dye skirt and tank top. They had a tie dyed painted table......it was awesome! |
|
|
|
Post by mckenzygirl on Mar 22, 2009 13:32:28 GMT -6
Very Interesting read along with great photos! We butcher chickens every year....that's easy! I'd like to try hogs someday. Must be just like butchering a moose..........done that too. Thanks  |
|
|
|
Post by rivervalleymama on Jun 4, 2009 20:36:44 GMT -6
I can't believe I JUST found this! Great job and thanks for the step by step pics!
I have no problem with the cleanin and cuttin- I just don't much care for the killin part. But I have done it all- not with pigs. I was wondering what was done with all the fat, the feet, the ears- did you do anything with the skin? I read then that you froze the fat, about how much did you wind up with?
|
|
|
|
Post by 4rum on Jun 19, 2009 17:22:09 GMT -6
Fantastic 'how to' pictorial. We didn't do it exactly the same, but the result was pretty much the same.
Some one asked about the skin. For us, it was cut into stips and the lard rendered out. Then guess what ? ? ? You had home made pork rinds ! ! ! Delicious. There is lots of fat gathered from the intestines too (also for rendering into lard).
My dad was in great demand in the fall locally. He did most of the shooting and sticking of hogs and beef. When I got big enough, I held the 'sticking knife' while he shot, then handed it to him and took the little Stevens Favorite while he stuck the hog.
I shot a few and 'Pop' told me where the 'sweet spot' is (just barely, barely off center of the forhead.
Tip: Lime in the scalding water makes the 'scarf' come off better.
4rum
|
|
|
|
Post by Rita on Mar 10, 2010 6:16:03 GMT -6
Trying to find it  |
|
??.......raise yer hand........yeah, i did'nt thank so.....men too fer that matter.
I'd be darting to the Potty 
for sure if I was there at that part.
