As we begin planning our commercial goat heard, I am also interested in having a few hogs on our property for or own family slaughter needs. But, I know that swine is not halal and now I'm wondering if the presence of swine on the same farm (10 acres) would then make our goats not halal. Anyone out there know the answer to this? Can they be pastured together? If they need to be separated, to what degree?
I guess I'm also asking if the presence of swine on the farm make our goats not kosher.
Biggest issue we had was they wanted bucks and not wethers. That just did not work with our management plan. We wanted to keep them pastured on their moms and naturally wean but would get all sorts of incest problems if you do that. My Amish neighbor feedlots all the males to be sold halal--feeds them cheap GMO feed and saves the good stuff for his family animals.
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Although I am not a muslim i have worked with many muslim communitys. Halal or ritual slaughter has had a Bad press but having whitnessed both there seemed to be little difference from an animal welfare position from what I could tell.
Logically And since Islam prides its self on being logical, since game taken in the wild living in the same forests as wild pigs is ok to eat then why should your goats be any different?
Talk to tour local mosque I am sure they could put you in contact with a local Halal butcher who would buy your animals on the hoof as it were.
David
Living in Anjou , France,
For the many not for the few
http://www.permies.com/t/80/31583/projects/Permie-Pennies-France#330873
Thanks for the replies, David and R Scott. I asked this because I know that many Muslims are brought up to view swine as detestible. Though it may not technically be a violation of halal to have swine on the farm itself (still checking that with the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America), I know my primary market will be direct-to-consumer and I don't want to create an environment that will keep my customers from coming to buy goat on the hoof or ordering goat on the hoof. Those goats that don't sell direct to consumer will go to the livestock sale barn near by.
The slaughterhouse where we take our pigs every week also does halal killing of goats, sheep and cattle for muslims. Same barn, same kill pen, same equipment, same personnel, same day.
Before you go with supplying animals for halal killing I would strongly urge you to see a bunch of them done, preferably by the person who will do yours. Eyes open and all that. Know what you're raising your animals for.
You bring up a good point, Walter. Thanks. I have watched halal slaughter before, so I am familiar with the difference of that kill compred to others. I agree the next step would be to be familiar with the practices of my potential customers.
Notwithstanding the slaughterhouse that Walter uses, I would love to hear from any Muslims on how they feel about goats and swine on the same farm or even pastured in the same paddocks.
We live according to kosher rules. From what i can tell kosher and halal are very similar. For kosher its not what the animal touches or grows up around but what the animal is. For instance dog, people, cats, pigs are all not kosher. Having a dog in your goat herd doesnt make the goats unkosher. We have a small homestead and i have a few pigs on the farm too. People think i am crazy since they are not kosher but every animal has its purpose.
Just to be clear though, if you took goat meat and rubbed it on pork that would make the goat meat unkosher. depending on who you ask even storing the meat in the same freezer as pork could make it unclean. My view is if its freeze wrapped it should be ok. Hope that helps.
Any topic that involves belief systems are going to be touchy. I don't want to tick off anyone. My beliefs are simular, and I have spent several years living in the Middle East. I now follow the dietary law as given in the book Leviticus. Given I had two identical farms to chose the same animal from I'd go with the one that did not have swine. I was not born into this way of thinking. I came to it on my own. I now have an aversion to all things pork. When I walk by the shellfish counter at the grocers my stomach turns from the smell. If I can go from someone that feed, killed, and eaten pork to now having a huge aversion to it, think of those who have done this their whole life. I think you'd be swimming upstream.
Thanks for the insight, Joseph, drew. Maybe I ask my neighbors for a bit of space for two hogs while I keep my farm for goats that will qualify as halal.