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Butchering an 'older' pig
I have a Large Welsh sow, coming up to 2 years old now. I had hoped t breed from her, but last autumn she produced a litter of 1 (one!), delivered 1 week early and immediately ate the piglet before I could get to it.
Before this she was very poor at coming into season and this has been the story since also. I think the time has come to cut my losses and get rid of her.
I know that porkers are usually slaughtered quite young, but does anybody have any experience of butchering a pig at this age?
Will the meat be good for anything other than sausage-meat or can I expect good quality 'huge' joints?
Yes, you can expect good quality large joints. Make certain the abattoir hands the meat for you for at least 5 days.
I had the same trouble with a gilt who had a vet's delivery to produce 2 live piglets! (Cervix didn't open/midnight/didn't have medication to open her.) I paid for most of the vet's bill by making her into sausages and selling half of them. her piglets were the largest I've ever seen and made slaughter by just over 4 months - best we've ever tasted. They kept 4 udders open by alternate sucking and I left them on her for 12 weeks. At 8 weeks we couldn't lift them at all. She was a good mother with those 2 but the vet had advised strongly against breeding with her again.
Best pork ever! Flavour has had time to develop, meat will be marbled, I just say Lucky You! Makes brilliant bacon too. The meat to bone ratio is better, and the bones are denser and will add flavour. Enjoy!
You'll have a lot of fat to throw away. Personally, I wouldn't sausage a two year old again, because the sausages I had done turned out rather coarse. Might have been down to the butcher, but not sure.
Before turning her into sausages and burgers, I asked the butcher to try some of the meat to see if it would be worth jointing her. He cooked some, but said he wouldn't recommend it.
Having said that, I sent off an 18-month-old that had polycystic ovaries and the joints from her were great, though I did bacon from most of her.