Pig slaughter knife, pig slaughter knives, pig cutting knives

Livestock breeders keep pigs only for meat or lard. Therefore, sooner or later the pig will have to be slaughtered. Sometimes this is the hardest thing, so farm owners hire special people to slaughter the pig, or send it to a slaughterhouse. But if you are thoroughly engaged in breeding pigs for meat or lard, you will have to learn how to cut pigs correctly, because... asking someone for this all the time is expensive and inconvenient. It is worth purchasing special equipment and knives so that everything is at hand.

The main purpose of the pig is to produce meat and lard.

Preparation for slaughter

In order for a farmer to be able to legally sell meat, the animal must be examined by a veterinarian before slaughter. After the examination, the doctor issues an appropriate certificate containing information about the age of the individual, the date of its slaughter and the region of origin, confirming that it is free from the main highly contagious diseases. It also makes sense to consult with a veterinarian about further examinations that will need to be carried out on meat products before sale.

To properly slaughter a pig, you will need a certain set of special tools and some devices :

a concrete platform or wooden pallet where it will be convenient to carry out cutting work;
a long, rigid knife with a well-sharpened edge;
strong ropes;
blood collection container;
clean napkins or gauze rags;
blowtorch or gas torch for burning the carcass.

Preparatory procedures for slaughter also apply to the pig itself. In the last 12 hours of her life, she is not fed, given only clean water, so that the intestines are completely cleansed. It is also easier to lure a hungry pig out - she will be more willing to leave her home if you lure her with food.

About axes

Automated slaughter of livestock and pigs uses special high-tech equipment. In small farms, everything is done manually using a knife and an ax.

The ax is very popular among beginners, since they do not yet have a “steady” hand and are afraid of missing without stabbing the pig with “one right hand.”

It is worth purchasing an ax in a specialized place. It should have a slightly curved shape, have a strong ax handle and a blade width of 25 cm. If you do not use it for slaughter in the future, it will not be a waste of money and will be useful in cutting.

If you do not have the opportunity to find a specialized ax for slaughter, you can replace it with a regular butcher's ax. The main indicator is the width of the blade: the larger, the better.

How to choose the right period and time

Let's decide when and under what circumstances it is best to slaughter a pig. Fattening of pigs is carried out according to the chosen technology until they reach the optimal slaughter weight. Its average figures are: 80-100 kg for bacon breeds (for example, Landrace or Pietrain), 100-120 kg for meat breeds and from 120 kg for tallow breeds.

If it is necessary to slaughter a pig in the summer, then this should be done early in the morning, while it is fresh outside. The procedure for slaughtering and cutting up a carcass takes about 2-3 hours , although this figure is arbitrary, since a lot depends on the experience and professionalism of the person performing this work. It is not recommended to slaughter a pig in rainy weather, but precipitation will not be a problem if the farmer has a covered area.

When choosing the moment for slaughter, you should also remember about such a factor as the physiological state of the animals . If this is a female going through a period of “hunting,” the slaughter will have to be delayed so that the high hormonal levels do not affect the taste of the meat. Calculating the optimal period is quite simple: count 10-14 days from the moment of the last “hunt” and get down to business.

Tool options: specifics and characteristics

Cutting pig carcasses is conventionally divided into 4 stages, each of which requires its own tool. Therefore, before starting slaughter, you should prepare the following knives:

hairpin;
vein;
stripper,
cutting

Knife for slaughtering pigs.
The first one was discussed above. The second is used to remove and cut cartilage and small bones. The shape of its blade should be slightly curved and the width should be within 4-5 cm.

A knife for cutting a pig must be perfectly sharp and straight. The optimal blade length is 16 cm.

To separate the skin, short thin knives are used, their length does not exceed 15 cm. But the tool for stripping the skin should be about 20 cm in length and 1 mm in thickness, made of ferrous metal, and not very sharp.

Slaughter process

There are different ways to slaughter a pig. Some slaughterers cut the animal's carotid artery and jugular vein . From the point of view of the quality of future meat, this is perhaps the best option, because the pig’s heart continues to function for some time, pumping out blood. However, this method is considered not entirely humane towards the animal, because it takes quite a long time to die.

Slaughter in this way is usually carried out in a certain sequence:

A bowl of food is placed in front of the pig to distract the animal. Meanwhile, strong ropes are tied on the hind legs.
Next, the ropes are thrown over a special crossbar and pulled up until the pig hangs in a vertical position at a height convenient for a person. However, it is not necessary to hang it, especially if it is a large boar. You can stab him by simply throwing him on his side. To do this, tie ropes on both legs on one side, and then sharply pull them towards you on the other. Remember that the animal will definitely try to get up, so it is better not to let go of the cables.
Once the pig has calmed down a bit, the jugular vein and carotid artery (on the sides where the neck connects to the chest) are cut.
If a person has plans to subsequently use the blood of an animal for culinary purposes, place a container under the wound to collect it.

There is another way to slaughter a pig: pierce the heart with a knife . The main disadvantage is that a certain amount of blood enters the animal’s chest cavity.

The sequence of actions within this method is as follows:

The animal must be turned over on its side (as described in paragraph 2 of the previous list).
After the pig has fallen, there is no need to waste time. The person carrying out the slaughter must deliver an accurate and strong blow with a knife to the heart area (between the third and fourth ribs). The knife is usually left in the wound for a few minutes.

We must not forget that after receiving such an injury, the animal may try to jump to its feet and start running, making loud noises. To avoid such force majeure, before stabbing the heart with a knife, they are first stunned. You can stun a pig with a strong blow to the frontal part of the head with the back of a heavy ax or hammer, or using a special device - a stun gun.

How to properly slaughter a pig - see detailed instructions in the following video:

Features of slaughtering pig and boar

If the piglet is light in weight, you can slaughter it yourself, but it is better if an assistant holds the rear legs of the animal. Usually a blow to the neck is used for slaughter, since this is the more humane method of all the others - the animal will simply fall asleep and not feel pain. The pig is slaughtered on a special high stool.

When slaughtering a large animal, you will need at least 3 people, since it is very difficult to cope with an animal weighing more than 100 kg alone. The owner lures the animal out of the pen, and the assistants deftly and quickly tie its front and hind legs. Having immobilized the pig in this way, they begin to slaughter it using any of the methods listed above. Be sure to drain all the blood, otherwise the fat will be red.

Bleeding

The presence of blood in meat deteriorates its quality, so when slaughtering a pig, care must be taken to quickly bleed the carcass. As mentioned above, the ideal option is to open the carotid artery and jugular vein. Then almost all the blood will flow out of the animal itself.

If a pig has been killed by a blow to the heart, some blood will certainly collect in its chest cavity. When opening the animal, the collected liquid can be scooped out with any convenient container, and the resulting clots can be removed with a napkin or clean rag.

Why is it so important to choose the right pig cutter?

There have been cases where a knife stuck in a pig carcass jumped out straight at the slaughterer due to heartbeats. You can also often hear stories about how a broken blade caused extreme pain to an animal. It gave him a rush of adrenaline and made him rush all over the yard.

As a result, a large amount of blood was lost, and the meat lost its aesthetic and taste qualities.

To prevent such situations from arising, due attention should be paid to the preparation and selection of tools for slaughter. It is this problem that we will highlight from all sides in this article.

Skin processing

It is necessary to begin primary processing of the carcass only after the animal has completely stopped moving.

Firing the hide is usually done using a blowtorch or gas torch. At the same time, it is necessary to scrape off the burnt stubble and the top layer of skin with a knife. The skin in the belly area is quite tender. It is important to ensure that it does not burn or crack. Try not to keep the flame in one place for a long time.

There is another ancient, but still popular method of burning bristles, especially suitable for oiling representatives of sebaceous species (for example, mangalitsa): the animal is laid on the sides and covered on top with a layer of straw slightly moistened in water, which is then set on fire. After this procedure, the lard acquires a special aroma. After scraping off the soot, begin washing the carcass with warm water.

If the skin needs to be removed, no heat treatment is carried out . The carcass of a slaughtered animal is laid on its back and cuts are made around the head and behind the ears. Next, you need to repeat the same operation, only along the bottom of the neck and carry it along any line of the nipples to the anus, the skin around which is cut off. It is also cut off in the area of the animal’s genital organs.

You can start removing the skin after the appropriate incisions have been made in all the necessary places. It is best to start this process from the hind limbs and move towards the belly and chest. Using a well-sharpened tool, the skin is separated from the layer of subcutaneous fat. With one hand, the skinner pulls back the skin, and with the other, he makes careful cutting movements with the knife.

The removed skin is usually rolled up with the outside facing out and left for 20-30 minutes to cool. Then it is preserved with salt (about 3 kg per 10 kg of preserved products): first, the salt is evenly sprinkled in a thin layer on a clean surface, then the skin is spread on it and salt in a moderate amount is gently rubbed into it on top. After this, the skin is rolled up again and left to salt in a cool place for 7-8 days.

Tool Content Tips

You can only learn all the subtleties and nuances of care by directly experiencing it in person. Even the most experienced farmer will not tell you everything at once. Due to ignorance, many beginners quickly spoil their instruments, which is fraught with unnecessary financial losses.

Covers for storing a pig cutter knife.

We want to share with you the basics of caring for cutting tools:

Do not use hot water to wash blades as this will quickly dull the blade. Detergents are completely safe to use.
Wipe the tools thoroughly, without leaving moisture on them, so as not to damage the metal and wood.
Knives and axes should not be stored in covers, but in oiled cloth.
If you are not going to use the butcher's utensils for a long time, it is better to lubricate them with oil or fat.

To achieve a high-quality result, sharpening cutting tools is carried out in two stages: sharpening on a machine and manual sharpening with a whetstone or any specialized abrasive.

Carcass cutting

After external processing of the carcass, slaughterers begin cutting it up. This is a very important stage of work, during which it is important not to damage the animal’s urinary and gall bladders. It is also necessary to properly separate the meat from the lard.

Cutting is carried out on a convenient platform and is usually carried out according to a standard plan:

First of all, the head is cut off.
Then an “apron” is carefully cut out on the animal’s peritoneum.
Then, using an ax, the sternum is chopped or cut down the center.
Next, to prevent the contents of the digestive tract from getting onto the meat, the esophagus is removed from the carcass. To do this, its end is tightly tied and cut off above the dressing.
After this, the lungs, heart and diaphragm are removed.
Then the stomach and intestines are taken out.
The liver is cut off. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the gallbladder while it is inside the carcass.
Then the internal fat is removed.
Then comes the turn of the kidneys - they should be removed carefully to prevent damage to the bladder, which will also need to be carefully cut out later.
After all the internal organs of the pig have been removed, the dressed carcass is wiped with dry, clean rags. It is not recommended to rinse it with water, since in this case the meat will begin to deteriorate much faster.

Read also: Hydrangea varieties for Siberia photo and description

The process of cutting a carcass is demonstrated in more detail in the video:

By mastering the technology of slaughtering a pig and butchering its carcass, you can save not only time, but also money.

A farmer who is going to sell meat at the market should know that pork is delivered to the place of sale in the form of carcasses with heads. In addition, along with each carcass, all internal organs (with the exception of gall bladders) are required to be submitted to the expert laboratory at the market. If these conditions are not met (the liver is missing, the head is cut off or the meat is cut into pieces), the product is not allowed to be sold. The procedure for slaughtering pigs, checking the quality of meat intended for sale, and obtaining all necessary certificates is regulated by the regulatory documents of Rosselkhoznadzor.

And finally, a few important recommendations from experienced farmers : during fattening, it is better not to give the animal a nickname and not to become overly attached to it; Do not forget that pigs are raised specifically for the subsequent production of food: meat, lard, smoked meats, sausages and other delicacies.

Handle Features

The handle, like the blade, is a very important component of a slaughtering knife. The only material that is ideal in this case is wood. It will not slip off your hand like plastic, which can cause serious injury.

The second criterion is the connection between the handle and the blade. The steel strip should completely penetrate the entire handle. If this requirement is not met, the blade may break off under force.

Under no circumstances should the handle simply be glued to the dagger. The handle must be secured with special nails or rivets. This design is the most reliable and durable.

Video

We invite you to watch a video that explains in detail all the intricacies of the process of cutting a pork carcass:

Loving husband and caring father. A versatile person, interested in literally everything. Gardening themes are no exception. I'm always happy to discover something new and share it with other people. He is of the opinion that nature is a second home for every person, therefore it should be treated with respect.

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The main purpose of the pig is to produce meat and lard.

How much weight should a pig have?

How much does a pig weigh before slaughter? At what age is it correct to cut it? An adult pig becomes an adult at 9-10 months. Then their weight reaches 130 - 150 kg. But this is not the limit. The weight of the animal depends on the breed. The largest is the great white. The average weight of such a boar is 320-350 kg, the female is 100 kg less. Other breeds weigh less. Thus, boars of the Mirgorod breed weigh on average 240-260 kg, and the weight of a Vietnamese pig does not exceed 140 kg. Experienced homestead owners do not slaughter pigs until their weight reaches maximum. And all because then the output is much greater.

pig weight 100 kg – 72-75% of production;
animal weight 120-140 kg – 77 – 80% of production;
weight above 180 kg – 80-85% of products.

If you slaughter pigs, then after the head and hooves are separated, the waste is removed, the net weight of meat and fat without bones is much less than what it was originally. And the greater the weight of the animal, the lower the percentage of waste.

And the pig grows quickly, rapidly adding kilograms. Already at 6-7 months she weighs 90-110 kg.

Before slaughter, the pig must be fattened to its maximum size.

Read also: How to clean fish from scales

Requirements for animals

Tasty, high-quality meat can only come from healthy, properly fed animals. They can be slaughtered as early as 4 months of age, but the most optimal age is considered to be 9-10 months, when the pig’s weight reaches 130-140 kg. Many people prefer to fatten pigs longer until they gain the maximum possible weight and production yield is greatest. Those who do not like lard and too fatty meat slaughter pigs at the age of six months: by 6 months the animals gain 90-110 kg, and the fat layer is quite thin. Vietnamese pigs, the demand for which is growing more and more, are slaughtered at the age of 4-6 months, since it is unprofitable to keep them any longer.

Preparing a pig for slaughter

Before slaughtering pigs, the animal must be prepared. She must be hungry before slaughter. Therefore, you cannot feed her for about 12 hours. If the animal's intestines are cleansed, the quality of the meat increases. 3 hours before slaughter, you need to remove the water, making sure that she does not drink.

Before slaughtering pigs, take the animals to a veterinarian. He will give you a certificate stating that he conducted a pre-mortem inspection. If you are preparing meat or lard for yourself, it is not necessary to go to the veterinarian.

If the pig is dirty, it is better to wash it with warm water. Then there will be fewer bacteria on the carcass, and the meat can be stored longer. If the animal is clean, then it is not necessary to bathe it.

It is important to choose the right time. It is better to slaughter pigs in the fall, when it becomes cool and the animal has been fattened. But you can cut it at any time of the year. If you do this in the summer, it is better in the morning, when there is no heat and no flies. You also need to guess the moment when 10-14 days have passed since the end of the last hunt. If this is done earlier, the quality of the meat will deteriorate due to sex hormones. If you delay, the next sexual cycle will begin. Sometimes before slaughter, a few days before, pigs are fed half a kilo of granulated sugar to make the meat more juicy and sweet.

Adding sugar to the diet before slaughter will improve meat quality

Selection rules

There is no need to choose a beautiful knife with various decorative elements in the form of animals, the main thing here is practicality and simplicity.

If you are going to engage in a craft such as slaughtering yourself, you should choose a tool personally, based on your individual characteristics. The knife should become an extension of your hand. You should not feel any discomfort.

Don't forget to make sure the design is correct.

As for such an indicator as size, the length of the blade without a handle should be 18-20 cm, width - 3-4 cm, in order to easily penetrate through the ribs to the heart. The handle should be at least 10 cm, if the palm is wide - more.

The optimal blade thickness is 2 mm, this indicator allows the knife to quickly and easily cut through organic tissue. Smaller dimensions will not allow pigs to be slaughtered correctly and comfortably.

What is needed for slaughter

If you are going to slaughter pigs at home for the first time, first gain the necessary experience. To do this, you must be present at the slaughter. When you decide to do this yourself, there should be an experienced person nearby who will help if necessary. What will you need? Remember that pigs should not be slaughtered in a pigsty. You must have a special site and equipment. What equipment and how much inventory will you need?

It cannot be made of galvanized iron. Only stainless steel or concrete.

It is needed to hang the carcass upside down. This way the blood flows better.

Basins or other containers for blood.
Required equipment: knives.

It is important to choose the right killer knife. The knife must be taken rigidly. The blade is sharpened and the end is made slightly dull so that the wound does not immediately expand and there is no heavy bleeding. The knife should be 20 cm long and the blade width should be 2 cm.

Gas burner or blowtorch. It is necessary for roasting the carcass.
Ropes that a pig can't break.
Sledgehammer.

Slaughtering equipment must be clean and disinfected before use.

Pig slaughter knife

Which knife is suitable for slaughtering livestock?

The success of the entire event depends entirely on which pig slaughter knife you use. A simple kitchen cleaver is completely unsuitable for such operations, even with perfect sharpening.

You also need to understand that a high-quality pig splitter knife cannot be cheap - any professional will tell you this. A cheap blade can fail at the most inopportune and important moment.

Inexpensive models quickly break and become dull after the first use. The desire to save money in this case can only increase financial losses if the product is damaged.

Anyone who used a cheap cleaver eventually faced even greater financial losses by purchasing a high-quality model again. Miser pays twice.

How to slaughter

How to slaughter a pig? First you need to lure her out of the pigsty. You cannot scare the animal, otherwise the meat will turn out tasteless. Therefore, you should not shout at or kick the pig. If she does not want to go out, you need to put a bag on the pig's head, and then take her out with her backside.

It is not always possible to kill a pig the first time. Sometimes she breaks free and, wounded, runs around the yard screaming. Therefore, those who are just learning how to do this correctly should first hit the animal with a sledgehammer just above the eyebrows, in the frontal part. Other equipment can also be used. Then she will lose consciousness and will not suffer. If an experienced person is cutting, you can do without stunning. But the animal is first calmed down. To do this, place a bowl of food in front of her and wait until she starts eating.

Before slaughter, the pig should not be nervous

Kick to the neck

This technology of pig slaughter is painful for the animal, because... she takes longer to die. But the meat turns out better. It causes heavy bleeding, and the less blood in the carcass, the tastier the meat, and the longer it will not spoil. How it's done? If the pig is large, then the help of 3 people will be needed. It is better to prepare the equipment in advance. This is a crossbar and strong ropes.

When the animal eats the food provided, ropes are tied to its hind legs.
These ropes are then thrown over the crossbar.
They sharply pull the pig up and wait until it calms down.
They take a knife and other equipment and cut the throat, right at the carotid artery.
The blood is collected in a special container.

A blow to the heart

The advantages of this method are that the animal does not suffer and dies instantly. But some blood will enter the chest cavity.

It is best to use two people to cut a pig. One holds the animal, and the other uses a knife.

First, the pig is placed on its left side, holding its leg. Before inserting the knife, feel for a pulse in your chest.

After this, the knife is sharply inserted at the 3rd or 4th rib. It is advisable to stun the animal first. But even then it can move its legs suddenly, so you need to hold the pig tightly and not remove the knife until it stops moving. The hole is then covered with a cloth.

Pork carcasses must be bled before cutting.

After slaughter, the carcass must be bled, waiting until all the blood has baked down into the prepared dish. It takes about 5 minutes.

The Basics of a Quality Cutter: Don't Try to Do a Job That Isn't Yours

You should immediately understand that it is very difficult to make a high-quality and effective pig cutter with your own hands at home. Unless you are an experienced craftsman and have your own workshop at home, equipped with all the necessary equipment.

This dagger is made from stainless steel. To create a workpiece, a saw blade used for cutting metal or wood can be used; it has all the necessary characteristics. When making such a knife, it must be hardened, which ordinary home ovens are incapable of.

As for the blade, expert opinions are divided. Some people believe that for their own safety it is worth using only one-sided sharpening. The latter, without sparing myself, I give preference to double-sided sharpening, since such a cutter will not damage the meat or skin of the pig and will not create a large amount of blood.

But using such a pig splitter requires some skill.

Knife for slaughtering livestock.

Carcass processing

If you have slaughtered the pig correctly and cleaned it of blood, the carcass needs to be processed. First, the pig skin is burned using a gas burner, after which the top layer of skin and burnt bristles are scraped off with a knife. The skin should not crack or burn.

Sometimes, if equipment has not been purchased, burnt straw is used for firing. Then the lard has a special aroma.

If the rock was greasy, it is enough to singe the bristles and scrape the skin with a knife. If it is meat or fatty meat, you will have to remove the skin. The only equipment needed for this is a knife. The carcass is laid on its back and the skin is cut with a knife. First, the incision is made behind the ears, then around the head. Later, the bottom of the neck is cut and the incision is made to the anus along the line of the nipples. As soon as the cuts are made, the skin is removed and separated from the fat: first they lift it, then they pull it back and make cutting movements with a knife.

Pork carcass cutting diagram

How to butcher a pig carcass:

First cut off the head.
Cut out the peritoneum.
Stomp the breastbone in half.
Find and remove the esophagus, first tying off the end.
Carefully remove the internal organs (lungs, heart, intestines, stomach).
Before cutting off the liver, first remove the gallbladder intact and then throw it away.
Remove the kidneys and bladder so that no urine leaks out.
Wipe the mascara with napkins. You should not wash meat, especially from the inside, otherwise it will spoil.

Slaughter in industrial slaughterhouses

In modern slaughterhouses, almost the entire process is automated:

The pig population is first washed and then sent to the workshop.
Animals are suspended by their hind legs, head down, over a conveyor belt.
The cutters cut blood vessels with precise and quick blows. Next, the blood is allowed to drain.
The bloodless carcasses are sent to the oven, where the bristles are removed.

After slaughter and bleeding, the carcasses are sent for cutting.