gift
The Humble Soapnut - A Guide to the Laundry Detergent that Grows on Trees ebook by Kathryn Ossing
will be released to subscribers in: 13 : 48 : 46
  • Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • Jay Angler
  • John F Dean
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Nicole Alderman
  • paul wheaton
  • Anne Miller
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Matt McSpadden

Injured pig: Can I still butcher her?

 
Posts: 9
2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hey All,

Today I discovered that one of of our hogs has been injured by some kind of wild animal. Her hindquarters are in pretty bad shape, but she does not seem to be actively bleeding (we were out of town all weekend so I can't be too sure exactly when it happened), and she is still able to get up and move about a bit and get food and water. I don't think she is going to die immediately, but think it is almost certain that infection will set in, and anyways she won't have much quality of life at this point

My main question is this: Can I butcher her and eat the meat? Obviously not from around the wounds, but what about the other 3/4ths of her? Any ideas? I have done searching on here and the wider web, and will continue to do so but any thoughts are much appreciated.

Thanks
 
rocket scientist
Posts: 6483
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
3325
cat pig rocket stoves
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
The short answer is yes, you could butcher her. Not much different than a wounded game animal.  The better question, is do you want to at this time ? If an animal attacked her then her adrenaline has been up, she is in pain . Her meat will be affected by that.  If she is getting up , drinking , eating, and pooping then maybe... she is not as bad off as it looks  ? Does she have a wallow to soak in ?  If you do give her antibiotics then you need to wait 30 days before butchering.By then she would be over the adrenaline rush and the pain will have moderated. But if you give her some care and if necessary a few shots of antibiotic , she may get to grow up to butcher size.  
By the way... How old are these pigs ? How many do you have ? Are they free range and vulnerable to predators ?  
 
pollinator
Posts: 1981
Location: La Palma (Canary island) Zone 11
9
purity forest garden tiny house wofati bike solar
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
All butchered and hunted animals have adrenaline!

After a wound, I guess adrenaline (or cortisol and more) levels go down. I also do not think it spoils the meat nor is bad to eat.
 
pollinator
Posts: 150
43
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Pretty standard practice in meat packing, sorry to say. Nobody stops the line.
 
gardener
Posts: 6814
Location: Arkansas - Zone 7B/8A stoney, sandy loam soil pH 6.5
1650
hugelkultur dog forest garden duck fish fungi hunting books chicken writing homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Are you sure it was an outsider that did the injury? Does your boar have tusks?

The reason I ask these questions is because a boar in musk (happens when the sow goes in heat) can injure the sow he is wanting to breed with and he will go after other, not in heat sows too.
Boar tusks are very sharp, they can cut through a belted tire with ease and all it takes is a swiping turn of his head to do it.

Our sows have a couple of scars from our boar, nothing big and topical treatment prevented any infection, that same day he sliced up an old motorcycle tire we keep one of the water dishes in so they can't turn it over.

The other half of your question has been answered by the others here. Yes you can butcher and you don't have to waste a lot of meat, just 2 inches past the wounds will keep the meat safe to eat.
 
Get meta with me! What pursues us is our own obsessions! But not this tiny ad:
permaculture bootcamp - learn permaculture through a little hard work
https://permies.com/wiki/bootcamp
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic