November is the month of slaughter, the harvests are in, the animals are fat for the winter, and it's cold enough not to spoil meat (too fast).
After I had written various parts of the slaughter and processing of a pig, I realized that I had nowhere told how the animal was captured. The day you are going hands on begins of course with this. And it turns out that it does not come if you whistle.
Bringing in with one ear doesn’t either work.
Beforehand I made the barn clean. Then you had not to step in the manure to tackle the beast.
Fasting
At least 24 hours to the slaughter the animal was lead in the barn with no food, so that the intestines are (almost) empty, the animal is lighter, and the risk of contamination is reduced. And you do not need to race after it in the meadow.
In a sturdy rope (about 8 mm), a loop is created. This you try, while you're standing around or in front of the pigs muzzle, to grasp just the maxilla with it. If you take the mandible as well the loop slides off. Often this is easy because the pig gasps to it. You pull the loop tight, so that the loop is around the muzzle and teeth. This strange situation is the beginning of pitiful screams.
With that loop you can usually lead the pig to the slaughter (not pulling, but accompanying).
Typically, butchers were comely and experienced guys. I have also had the experience of the butcher picking up an unwilling hog by the hind legs, and so drove him like an animal wheelbarrow forward to the thoroughly polished place of slaughter.
If the animal was for sale a closed wooden crate was put on the bascule (large scale), and balanced (so the weight of the cage was neutralized and did not count). Then went the pig in the cage, which was hoisted by 4 man on the weighing plate. Typically, it was about 90 to 120 kilo, but there were sometimes boars of at least 150 kilos. No toys so.
After weighing the animal was brought out of the crate to the slaughter, and there were also drawn loops around the right front and hind leg. Each rope being held by a person, so that the pig was being held immobile on the spot.
The butcher stood on the free side of the animal swung the hammer or the back of an ax and hit up the middle of the skull just above the eyes. This slam marked the end of the shrill screaming and yelling. (A stunner may also, or a bullet.)
After this ”anesthesia” the heart continues to beat, so that the blood in the cut off (vein or heart stabbing open) is pumped out the body.
(The ”cut off” and exsanguination is described under < (Swine) blood (sausage) >)
After bleeding the pig was roasted to remove every hair. For this, there was abundant straw around, over and spread under the animal. At least one strawbale. Occasional turn, and possibly add straw if necessary. The scratching is done with the grain of the hair, so front to back on the back. You can also put the hog in hot water (60-70 degrees) in a tub or keep pouring hot water over it.
After about six minutes the hair loosens. But not at a too low nor a too high a temperature.
Of course the pig was cleaned well first, and completely bleeded. Singeing removes any remaining hairs.
Instead of burning off the hair it may also be waxed, unhairing with (hot) resin. After use it is heated again and sieved.
Thereafter, the burn for shaving and, in contrast to the scratch, this occurs opposite against the direction of the hair or the brushes.
The hooves were extra burnt, making the cover was black and came loose. You could then wring off the caps with a powerful jerk. Use gloves for those hot feet! Or insert a hook between the hoof wall and the toe claws to tear them off.
The muzzle has some extra burned and the tip was in our neighborhood always cut off. Why? I do not know.
Later this was no longer done with straw, but with a roofing burner (gas burner). A bit similar to stripping paint with a blowtorch.
There were fifty tough stories about pigs not enough bled out and so were not yet dead, and later ran away like a chicken without a head, burning (usually right in to a hay stack). Such 'fun' I've never seen it happen. But it does indicate that slaughter is serious business where each component has to be done in a adequate thought out manner.
Instead of burning the hair off, all can be (partially) shaven, and bind them together in gently bunches (with a (small) stem) and adhesives to paint and brushes and other (shaving) brushes.
After burning, soot and burnt were hair brushed off with coarse broom, and the pig is very thorough and powerful, sanded with water and scrubbed. Main attribute to this were sardine cans, which were beaten with a nail dozens of holes in the bottom, so that a real, solid and rough rasp arose. It was also scraped with knives, and scrubbed with brushes. Teamwork so. The skin had to look after burning like a baby's skin. Irremovable dirt was cut away, like a slice from the top of the nose, with two nostrils, and the deepest points between the toes.
The ears were later, when they were cut off, even more scrubbed. Especially the inside. For brawn.
A man wearing a pig on his shoulders.”Hello, won with keno?"“Yes.” says the pig. (JW Besouw)
'Butcher, do you also have pig 's feet”“Yes.”“That's a pity."