Problems after stumbling upon an untapped market

We have not advertised and were in fact not planning on selling any of our pig meat. However, while eating some amazing ham steaks with my husband at his work a co-worker of his came in and we began to talk. He asked questions about the meat and where it came from and when we mentioned we had ducks he asked for duck eggs. we began selling duck eggs and then they asked for half a pig. Things have progressed and now they are asking questions about purchasing live animals. Live ducks and piglets. They are Chinese. I'm unsure about this live animal purchasing. It just makes me a bit uncomfortable. They obviously plan to kill them themselves and I wouldn't be against that but I would like to know it's all humane.

This is a good market for us. It's completely uncovered here and we now have very good connections in. So would you do this?

I have sold pigs, lambs, rabbits, and chickens live, knowing that they were intended for eating. I have no problem with it. In fact, it gets me around those sticky government rules about selling meat, so it keeps me legal.....even though under the table meat sales are the norm in my area and nobody except health officials care.

I have asked buyers if they need information about how to humane slaughter their animal. Some folks have been grateful for a lesson. Others feel that they already have enough experience. Ive stunned and bled two for the buyers before they left the property. I have no problem doing that.

Su Ba wrote:I have sold pigs, lambs, rabbits, and chickens live, knowing that they were intended for eating. I have no problem with it. In fact, it gets me around those sticky government rules about selling meat, so it keeps me legal.....even though under the table meat sales are the norm in my area and nobody except health officials care.

I have asked buyers if they need information about how to humane slaughter their animal. Some folks have been grateful for a lesson. Others feel that they already have enough experience. Ive stunned and bled two for the buyers before they left the property. I have no problem doing that.

Thankfully we have a food act that allows us to sell direct to customers. I guess I wouldn't have a problem selling to another farm. Do that already. But to someone in the city it seems odd to me.

I loved taking live chickens to the farmer's market. They were one of the hottest selling items I've ever taken.

Where we used to live there was once a month flea market that had animals.  After our initial chick purchase, we bought all our replacement hens there.  

Elle, if you want to make sure they are killed in a humane way, why not offer to do that for them and then they could finish the rest at home.

Having worked and dined at the homes of people from China, freshness of food is very important...more so than your average American. Fish served at dinner were swimming in the kitchen right before we ate it.

I would feel fine with selling live animals.

That's fantastic.  No problems -- just opportunity.  You've been offered a gift.

Share with them your concern that the animals be ethically and humanely butchered, and offer to help them initially if they desire.  Beyond that, you might prepare yourself for further word-of-mouth customers in the Chinese community.

I also think it may be worth checking out the local synagogue and mosque for the same reason . Lamb and kid could sell direct well to many communities  Pork not so well ( JOKE! )

David Livingston wrote:I also think it may be worth checking out the local synagogue and mosque for the same reason . Lamb and kid could sell direct well to many communities  Pork not so well ( JOKE! )

That is a very good idea!

This whole thing is making us re-evaluate our livestock priorities. We'd been working on seeding the property so we could keep livestock but we may have to speed it all up a little bit.

kay Smith wrote:Having worked and dined at the homes of people from China, freshness of food is very important...more so than your average American. Fish served at dinner were swimming in the kitchen right before we ate it.

I would feel fine with selling live animals.

Good. What I needed to hear. Your average American wouldn't know what to do to kill an animal but it sounds like these people are probably equipped to do the job well.

Gosh we are having to learn a whole new language pretty much. When I said "half a pig" what do you think of? Cut nose to tail I'd imagine. That's not what they meant. They meant front half only. Boy we are learning really really quickly.

They meant front half only.

When I see somebody offering half a pig, they mean either the left half or the right half.
Just like you (and I) thought.

Most ethnic cuisines utilize the cheaper cuts.  The premium cuts get sold for cash, and the farmer's family eat the leftovers.  Almost every ethnic group has a main dish created out of the Boston Butt (pork shoulder).  An inexpensive cut that offers a wide variety of tasty meals.

Expensive cuts, (which mostly come from the back half), hams, bacon, chops and roasts pay the farmer's bills, the rest stays home.  Tradition has taught them to cook, and consume the 'lesser cuts'.  Sausages were created around the world to utilize the lesser cuts in a form that could be kept without refrigeration.

John Polk wrote:

They meant front half only.

When I see somebody offering half a pig, they mean either the left half or the right half.
Just like you (and I) thought.

Most ethnic cuisines utilize the cheaper cuts.  The premium cuts get sold for cash, and the farmer's family eat the leftovers.  Almost every ethnic group has a main dish created out of the Boston Butt (pork shoulder).  An inexpensive cut that offers a wide variety of tasty meals.

Expensive cuts, (which mostly come from the back half), hams, bacon, chops and roasts pay the farmer's bills, the rest stays home.  Tradition has taught them to cook, and consume the 'lesser cuts'.  Sausages were created around the world to utilize the lesser cuts in a form that could be kept without refrigeration.

That is certainly something I hadn't considered before. Good point though!

Do they want the head also?  I rarely hear about Hogs head cheese any more but in some cultures it was a big deal.  

Head_cheese