Wow, I never realized it was so simple. I figured there’s be more to it. Thanks for the post.

Jeez, this is what happens when 4H membership declines.

Pretty soon we have picture exposes of how supermarket chickens are cut up it pieces, how fish are cleaned, and how tomato sauce actually comes from … tomatoes.

I used to help my mom kill chickens and ducks as a child and we even kept pigs once, never again. As they smelled terrible and were hard to kill, the squirming and squeeling were just too much for us. I did however accompany my mom to friends houses/farms and witnessed a pig slaughter once or twice, they were gruesome. No thanks.

I helped my parents kill two pigs last fall. We shot them twice in the head with our rifle (we learned that you draw a line from one ear to the opposite eye and again from the other ear and shoot them there). I have to admit they sure do move around after death. Trying to bleed them out after shooting them was a frightening experience, then getting them pulled up of the ground to drain the blood. I saved as much blood as I could, added some vinegar to stop coagulation and then used it to thicken several sauces I made to go with the pork. It was hard work, but educational (for a chef) and lots of fun seeing the entire process.

We are doing it again this fall as well. My parents are picking up 2 Bershire piglets next monday.

Filipinos, not wanting to waste any component of a food source due to economic reasons, just being frugal, and growing up appreciating the flavor of a source of protein, tend to use every bit an animal’s or fowl’s part. Blood is used in a vinegar, garlic, pepper stew with meat & offal, usually intestines. See Wikepedia’s entry: Dinuguan

“Dinuguan is a popular Filipino dish also known as pork blood stew or chocolate pudding. It is a savory stew of blood sausage and offal simmered in a rich, spicy gravy of pig blood, garlic, chili and vinegar. The term dinuguan comes from the word dugo meaning “blood”. It is recognisably thick and dark, hence the Westernized term “chocolate pudding”. … It is often served with white rice.”

thats nasty!

@ SUSAN

What you said about the USDA is completely false, you do not need to inform the USDA about you own livestock. The USDA is only there for Market meat, they just have to check for deseases in the animals guts and carcass, and assure that the proccessing area is up to a clean standard. As should be the fake of all other food industries. Kids have died from e. coili in apple juice because workers didn’t do their job cleaning and using GMP, so try again. No pets need to be logged.

I worked at a pork plant in Storm Lake Iowa about 16 years ago, but only for a short time. I got a real feel of the process. They shock the pigs and then slit their throat, letting them bleed to death. I washed and boxed the stomachs to be sent to Oscar Meyer for them to make bologna. I saw how they make sausages and hotdogs and still eat all of it today. In fact I just finished a bologna sandwich. Then they moved me to a position in which I was to position the hogs as they come out of the de-hairing machine so the guy next to me could hook the feet to hang up. It was quite the experince and wasn’t the best of smells either.

Justin, it’s you who is incompletely informed. Susan is correct.

As she indicated, USDA has been pushing a mandatory tagging system for all livestock in the U.S., including those kept as domestic pets. Perhaps you find this hard to believe? Well, educate yourself. Google the National Animal Identification System and wade in all the information you would ever want on this topic. Most recent word is that USDA is backing off from making it mandatory. Time will tell.

well. thats sick. =[ eew.

Justin:
by 2009 there will be tracking on all livestock (excluding horses, they are optional). it’s to prevent/follow diseases and outbreaks.
animals and farms will need to be registered with a database, and the wherabouts of the animals recorded and sent in within 24 hours of relocation…

I was told that a neighbor recently shot and slaughtered a pig in his backyard. Why are people so shocked about this?

Amanda – it’s called the first ammendment – if you don’t like it – don’t look. This is educational for those that have a passion for the culinary industry.

I used to work at a small meat processing plant and I couldnt help but notice how laid back of a job the usda inspecter had. He only came in on killing days and even then he just went around with his little stamp certifying all the meat. the bad part was that the plant was filthy and if i was the inspector it would have been shut down. I have butchered many animals outside on a picnic table and my setup is always cleaner than the processing plant. that said the usda is crap and everyone should work toward home butchering

HMMM…HMMM…GOOD!
ALL LITTLE PIGGIES GO TO MARKET
YIPEE
HAM AND SPAM!!!

porky

Everyone chill out. This has been going on for hundreds of years. Only difference now, is that we have fricken technology to show it to you on screen. Todays technology is a lot more frightening than slaughtering pigs. So sit back and relax, and be taken in.

I am amazed of the amount of people on this planet of ours who enjoy the cruel suffering of Animals. I don’t believe the methods of killing Animals today is humane in any sense of the word.

It wuld be better for all if the Human race consumed less meat as this is clearly destoying our planet.

I wish the tables were turned and the Animals bruetalised all the sick bastards that clearly enjoy pain and suffering.

Animals are intelligient, some humans are not !!!

i think its funny how these people on here is so upset with the rights of the animals, and the process to keep them alive, but what for, its just another reason to give our rights too to animal, and yet to take our rights away from, as though there right to not eat the meat but yet wants everybody else to do as they do

Harvesting these hogs is no different than picking an apple from the tree. It is what these animals are intended for. I have lived on a farm all my life, we butcher our own beef,swine and poultry. We gather our own eggs and drink milk that comes straight from the cow, non-pasteurized I might add. And nobody has ever gotten sick from any food born contamination. But look at all the people who have gotten sick and died from these big mega-farms that the government is watching over. Makes a person wonder why they think they can run everything.

This summer i will be rasing a pig of my own for FFA then selling it to a farm, i’m pretty nervous for it but its the circle of life, Raise this animal and knowing his or her boding will be feed an human body is enough to know i am doing at least some good. For those few vegans out there…. we get it im all about animal rights too but i know when my opinon is unwanted i feel like you should learn how to fell the same way.

1st let me start by saying…. Sarah… Shut the hell up. 2nd. About the blood. I have used it many time as chum to bait out a fishing spot. It works good. But seems to draw the snakes in more then cow blood. It’s worth it for the fish. Thats right Sarah. I eat fish also. The same with beef and chicken. Oh boy I will jack a chicken leg up in a heart beat.

@ Sarah– I respect your right to be vegetarian or even a vegan if you wish. What I do not understand is why you would not respect others right to eat meat. I suspect you kill dozens of animals per day. If you don’t believe me, check the front of your car/windshield or the soles of your shoes. What seperates you and I is that you kill for your convience and do not use what you kill. I feel I am more respectful to the animal, as I would not kill it unless I was to consume it. Just a thought, as life is a matter of perspective.