Hog Slaughtering, Butchering, and Eating Part 4

This is the best part. Daddy woke up really early to start a fire so we could have coals ready to cook the pig with. Then the Rogers arrived and we started setting up.  We had a great time playing games and eating with the Buchites, the Smiths, Ms. Cindy, and Ms. Nancy.   Excuse the many many pictures (29 to be exact). I like to record every moment and narrowed it down to these.

This is where the guts are buried.

Undoing the bolts

Hog Slaughtering, Butchering, and Eating Part 3

Alrighty! This part is going to deal with the dissecting, so if you get squeamish, you might want to skip this part. It's very interesting though. My daddy is very knowledgeable about these kind of things and was explaining which organs were what and how they worked.

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 I think this is the liver

 The heart

 Daddy was showing us how the lugs work by blowing up the lungs with a pressurized air can.

Rinsing

Then we sawed through the chest bone

:) After that, Mommy and Mrs. Rogers seasoned it and we called it a day. Party tomorrow! 

If you missed part 2, HERE is the link.

Hog Slaughtering, Butchering, and Eating Part 2

Caution: Contains graphic images

Just a little warning there. If you don't like blood, I suggest you not read this. You should find some way to contact me, because I'll make another less graphic post if requested.

    The day before Butterscotch's demise was like any other day. She and Frankie were frolicking around the pen and biting my boots.

I can't say I was overjoyed that she was going to die the next day. But she wasn't exactly a nice pig either. She liked to butt into me when I wasn't paying attention.

Now I have made you all feel bad with these cute pictures. Let's go to the next day. The next morning the Rogers family came. After all, she was their pig. We were just keeping her because the Rogers live in a neighborhood. Anyway, they came in that big white van of theirs. All 10 of them (although Mrs. Rogers's mom isn't technically a Rogers... but she's part of the family.) The kids are (from oldest to youngest): Michelle, Melissa, Daniel, Derek, Melody, Melinda, and Melyna. Melinda and Melyna are twins.  We pretty much got right to it. The plan was to stab Butterscotch in the chest through the heart. For the longest time Daddy and Daniel were trying to catch Butterscotch with a rope, but Frank kept grabbing it. It seemed as if Butterscotch knew she was going to die because she was very wary and quick to retreat.

 I didn't like the suspense of waiting for her to get stabbed, so I ran into the house with Melody and Melyna. Now this is the funny part. Melody, Melyna, and I are the ones who want to go into the gross stuff (for example, veterinarian, paramedic, forensic something or another). We are hiding in the house and Melinda, the one who usually doesn't like that kind of stuff is out there taking pictures. Well, I finally got my courage enough to go back outside. I was thinking I'd hide behind someone so I wouldn't have to see. They are still trying to catch the pig. They got her to take an apple, but she grabbed it and ran. Finally, I said, "Can I just go get the gun?" Daddy said it was in the safe, so I ran and got the .22 rifle out of the safe and brought it to him. I wasn't planning on watching Butterscotch die. I think Frank knew something was wrong, too, because he kept standing in front of her like he was protecting her. When Frank was just far enough away, Daddy shot Butterscotch in the forehead and quickly handed me the gun. She was convulsing and Daddy was saying, "Where's the knife?" The boys found it and he quickly stabbed her through the heart.

Photo credit goes to Melinda Rogers

 I know it sounds bad, but I personally think Butterscotch couldn't feel a thing. All animals convulse when killed and it was a clean slaughter. Daddy needed someone to keep Frank away from Butterscotch while they got the trailer to put her in, so I remember handing the things I was carrying to different people as I was walk/trotting. Poor Frank  was looking at Butterscotch, who now only had the occasional tremor. I blocked his view as they put Butterscotch in the trailer, and raked over her blood.
For about 15 minutes after that I felt like a murderer, but then I was excited about dissecting her. We put her on the drying table (instead of a regular top, it's like a screen) and skinned her. That was the interesting part. We boiled some water. There must be a magic temperature because when it's too hot, too much skin and fat comes off, and when it's not hot enough, it doesn't come off very easily.

Then you slowly and evenly pour the water over the carcass and use a knife (perpendicular to the skin) to scrape it off. it was a pretty neat experience.

Mrs. Rogers with the hot water

Then Mom did some finishing touches with a razor. :)

Then we tied up the intestines. Trust me. You don't want the poop getting on the meat.

Then we stuck a hanger through her back legs so we could hang her up to gut her.

That concludes a long Part 2. I'll post Part 3 when I have more time.

The bullet that killed Butterscotch

If you missed part 1, see it HERE. To see part 3, click HERE.

Hog Slaughtering, Butchering, and Eating Part 1

     When Bacon had her first litter of piglets last year, we kept one for ourselves (Frank) and one for our friends, the Rogers (their pig's name is Butterscotch). Well, today we are having us all a Butterscotch roasting party (Yeah!).
     Yesterday, the Rogers came over and we slaughtered their pig. I wasn't planning on watching. Hey, I've seen her everyday since she was born. But it turned out that way anyway. Then we dissected it. It was awesome! Since my daddy is a paramedic (and has lots of farm experience besides), he explained all the parts and what they do. I don't have time to post all the pictures now, but when I get the time, I'll make a part 2.
     Here's a sneak peak: to take the hair and the outer layer of skin off, we poured boiling water on the pig and scraped with the dull side of the knife. It worked like magic! (that's Mr. Rogers holding the pig. Thanks!)

To see part 2, click HERE.