Livestock for the freezer
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:57 pm
To all those who raise their own livestock, can I ask how long have you been doing it and how did you cope with the first time you had to send an animal for slaughter?
Although I am a veggie, OH eats meat and at the moment we are buying meat from out lovely neighbours. Over here it is the time for killing the stock to save on winter keep. Last week the steer, this week pigs, next week sheep.
There was a huge amount of spare veggies going from our garden to next door during summer and autumn. In fairness they had planted the garden for us anyway before we moved out here, and filled the space with squash and pumkins, pictures of the resulting mountain appeared on here, and we ended up with a good few in the cellar. We will be growing more for the chickens next year, and although we only have half an acre it is more than enough space to over grow some things as there are only two of us.
I have told the OH he will have to look after any meat animals, as he does 'his' chickens, for obvious reasons. The neighbours have had someone in to do the deed, that is the way it is done here, but I don't know how I, or even OH will cope if a pig we have got used to having around made the incredible din that the one next door did. He's not bothered, but not sure how he would be with his own. I realise once it's done you would soon get over it, but I have been dreading the run up to Christmas for the very reason that it is cause for celebration and excitement when the time is due. We were invited next door for rakia on steer day, but I was cooking and just the sight of all the meat hung between the gardens was a bit traumatising. I have got over it of course, and helped OH to sort the huge chunk of haunch we bought.
Just wondering how others coped, or is it easier in the UK when you have to send them away.
Tried a photo but for some reason it is unable to determine the size of the photo
Although I am a veggie, OH eats meat and at the moment we are buying meat from out lovely neighbours. Over here it is the time for killing the stock to save on winter keep. Last week the steer, this week pigs, next week sheep.
There was a huge amount of spare veggies going from our garden to next door during summer and autumn. In fairness they had planted the garden for us anyway before we moved out here, and filled the space with squash and pumkins, pictures of the resulting mountain appeared on here, and we ended up with a good few in the cellar. We will be growing more for the chickens next year, and although we only have half an acre it is more than enough space to over grow some things as there are only two of us.
I have told the OH he will have to look after any meat animals, as he does 'his' chickens, for obvious reasons. The neighbours have had someone in to do the deed, that is the way it is done here, but I don't know how I, or even OH will cope if a pig we have got used to having around made the incredible din that the one next door did. He's not bothered, but not sure how he would be with his own. I realise once it's done you would soon get over it, but I have been dreading the run up to Christmas for the very reason that it is cause for celebration and excitement when the time is due. We were invited next door for rakia on steer day, but I was cooking and just the sight of all the meat hung between the gardens was a bit traumatising. I have got over it of course, and helped OH to sort the huge chunk of haunch we bought.
Just wondering how others coped, or is it easier in the UK when you have to send them away.
Tried a photo but for some reason it is unable to determine the size of the photo