Can i slaughter my own pig

For instance, the RSPCA considers shooting by firing a bullet into the brain to be the most consistent and reliable means of humanely killing most livestock animals. This requires skill and experience in the use of the appropriate firearm for this purpose and experience in handling the species concerned. The concept of a mobile slaughtering unit arose from this need. This method of slaughter is not designed for large-scale meat processing around 40 million cattle, calves, sheep, lambs are slaughtered in Australia each year.

Also ensure that dogs can't reach or eat raw offal when you dispose of dead animals. Find out more about feeding offal to dogs and preventing hydatids. Requirements for homekill and recreational catch service providers. A guide to homekill and recreational catch [PDF, 4. If you have questions about homekilling, email info mpi. MPI uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our website, you accept our use of cookies. Food recalls and complaints Food and pregnancy Safe food for babies Food allergies and intolerances Food for people with low immunity How to read food labels How Health Star Ratings work Food additives and preservatives Nutrients added to food Preparing and storing food safely at home Food safety tips for fishing, hunting, and homekill Homekilled meat: rules and food safety Food safety for hunters Food safety when fishing and gathering shellfish What is organic food?

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Food safety risks with homekilled meat Meat that's sold commercially like in supermarkets follows strict requirements to ensure it's safe to eat. If you have used a gambrel to hang the carcass, leave the last inches of skin connected near the shoulders to make sure the gambrel stays balanced.

If you used chains or ropes to hang the back legs independently, you may completely separate the sides. Look over the carcass for any signs of contamination dirt, hair, fecal matter, ingesta from a punctured intestine, etc.

Any contamination should be trimmed off the carcass to reduce chances of food borne illness such as Salmonella, E. Coli or other illnesses. Many harmful bacteria thrive in fecal matter. Using hot water if possible, spray the carcass down beginning at the hind legs and working toward the front legs. Allow the carcass to drip for a few minutes. Acetic acid is the acid found in white vinegar.

If you do not have access to those facilities, the carcass needs to be fabricated cut into manageable pieces. Use Figure 2 as a guide to help you make these cuts.

Lay one side of the carcass down on a clean surface so the skin side is down. If you do not wish to keep the feet, they can be cut off using a saw above the knee or hock joint of each leg. Then, locate the 2nd rib counting from the anterior end closest to the head. Using a saw, cut through the backbone and sternum between the 2nd and 3rd ribs.

You will also have to saw through the shoulder blade which lays below the backbone. Once you have cut through the bones, you can finish removing the shoulder with a clean boning knife. Next, locate the aitch bone, which is a teardrop shaped bone at the ham. Using a saw, make a cut perpendicular to the length of the back leg about 2 inches towards the head from the aitch bone. You will cut through the last few vertebrae and the pelvic bone. Again, once you have cut through the bones, finish the cut with the boning knife.

Finally, separate the belly from the loin. Start by looking at the end the ham was removed from. Locate the tenderloin, which is a small round muscle that sits just under the backbone.

At the ham end, make a mark at the edge of the tenderloin. Then, on the shoulder end of the loin, locate a spot about inches toward the belly from where the ribs meet the backbone and make a mark. Then return to the ham end.

Using a knife, cut towards the mark you made on the shoulder end. You should get about half-way through the cut before reaching the ribs. Then, use a saw to cut through the ribs and finish the cut with a knife. You should now have 4 manageable pieces of a pork carcass to cool. Do the same thing to the other side. Then wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place into iced down coolers for 24 hours.

Be cautious to not over pack the coolers. Leave space around each cut for ice to ensure it cools properly. The black lines on Figure 2 indicate the locations to cut the carcass into primal cuts for chilling. The organs, hide, head, feet, or trim you removed from the carcass should be disposed of properly.

If you have access to an animal disposal pit, you can dispose of it there. You can also contact your local land fill to see if they allow animal disposal.

This article is intended to provide guidance on the proper techniques for fabricating a pork carcass at home. This article is intended to provide guidance on the proper techniques for packaging meat and storing meat at home. Skills Needed Before making the decision to slaughter a pig at home, there are several important skills that you should possess: Firearms: You should have the skills necessary to handle and fire a gun safely. Most people prefer to use a. You should be able to safely and accurately fire the gun to ensure the animal is stunned properly and humanely.

Knives: You should be confident in your ability to sharpen and handle knives and saws. A dull knife is much more dangerous to use than a sharp one because dull knives require more pressure to cut, increasing your chances of injury. Animal Handling: You understand humane animal handling and the ability to safely restrain the pig or keep it in a small area.

If the pig is able to move around, it is much harder to safely and humanely stun the animal. Patience: You should have the patience and attention to detail to follow all of the necessary steps to safely handle the animal, carcass, and meat to reduce the chances of animal welfare or food safety issues.

Essential Equipment If you have determined that you have the skills necessary to slaughter and butcher a pig yourself, the next step is to conduct an inventory of equipment. Firearm for stunning the pig and ensure the firearm is sighted in for the appropriate range. Several sharp boning knives. We recommend at 6-inch blade. Metal barrel or other container to heat water. Violation of these ordinances can include monetary and other penalties, so you must check first if you are going to use a firearm in your slaughter practices.

What about nuisance laws? Nuisances are dealt with at the local and sometimes state level. Most cities and towns have at least some anti-nuisance laws on the books that prohibit bothersome noise, odors, pests and the like.

Even if the nuisance ordinance is vague in its wording, you can still be subject to a nuisance claim under common law, so it is prudent to act responsibly at all times. In fact, when it comes to resistance to on-farm or backyard slaughter, this is usually where the neighbors come into play, particularly if they live within earshot.

Indeed, perhaps the most troubling part about pig slaughter for most individuals is the sounds and smells that can come with a slaughter not done properly, and enforcement of nuisance laws are a novel way for neighbors to stop such conduct.

Take a look at what has been happening in Florida. What about sanitation regulations? Slaughtering your own animal will require you to deal with properly disposing of blood, wastewater generated during the slaughter, and inedible parts of the pig. Many farms can take care of this on-farm through composting, burial or burning. But depending on where you live and the size of your property, this may not be a viable option consider the smell and potential pests it will attract , and so you will need to give some consideration to this part of the slaughter process.

If this is your first pig slaughter, just read this to get a sense of the amount of pig parts you will need to consider and these are just the ones to be eaten!

Law Review article out of Duke University Law School: Though it is a few years old now, provides a good synopsis of the usual methods of slaughter and the history of federal and state humane slaughter laws. State humane slaughter laws compiled by Michigan State University College of Law Animal Legal and Historical Center : This list is from so it is likely to be outdated in some cases; check with local counsel for the most current laws.

Disclaimer: This information is general in nature and for educational purposes only. It is not intended as specific legal or any other advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing thereof does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.

The reader is encouraged to seek the advice of an attorney or other professional when an opinion is needed.