Most enjoyable day today

[41chevy]

Son and Snowflake daughter inlaw came over to show me their $200 Nano anti  plague masks, Princess snowflake saw what I was doing and nearly puked in her new mask. 1st good event. Village Mayor and new town constable   came over and the constable threw up on the mayor shoes. 2nd good event.

All I was doing was prepping a dozen pigs for their diner dates. Need OD to smoke some up for me. Ended up with a bit over 400 pounds of meat so far.

Here is my bacon and sausage pics. Won't show the pigs hanging around in the  cold room being quiet.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2020 by 41chevy

[Quickfarms]

Looks like a micro scale version of one of my clients operations.

 

We just built a new building that uses carbon dioxide pits to do the deed

 

In high school I used to have fun with the preppy, stuck up, girls by asking them out to a party and not telling them it was in the woods only accessible with 4WD

 

Today if I was dating I would probably be screwing with the snowflakes just for fun

 

What is going to happen when the constable see’s his first dead body.

 

You need to send the mayer a bill to clean up the hazardous waste

[terry]

Looks like some good eating there! 👍  terry

[hicrop10]

I can remember dad going out to the local farmer where ever our jobs were at,and buying the whole cow and having the farmer butcher it up.

 

[Rob]

Lived across the street from a place called "Springfield Dressed Beef" and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were "kill days". Not for the faint hearted. They'd bring Monday's cattle delivery, (usually 300 head) into the building via chute, a 22short between the eyes, drop the side, log chain around the rear feet via chain fall on a roller track,  hoist up and over to the "bleed out" pit, (sewer) stick a 24" knife into the throat and split if from neck to chest for between 19-30 gallons of blood to drain, then over to the dressing station(s). The carcass had different processes it went through at each station. Quick, clean, orderly and they'd have the delivery complete and cooling or shipped within four hours.

Friday was steam cleaning day and the whole building interior from floor to ceiling was disinfected and the "tank" where the pit discharged into was pumped.

We still have butcher houses and cattle here supplying the local grocery stores. Right now they cannot keep up with demand.

If a local cattle farmer takes his cow in for slaughter you can bet he is going to get "his" meat from that cow back. Many around here will not eat meat from the grocery stores but rather purchase from the local meat lockers whether it be steak, pork, or fowl.

[41chevy]

The New Constable is 20 / 22 years old and the son of one of the board members and has zero training in law or weapons. The mayor knew what I was doing and brought him for the specific reason of tossing his cookies.I give the mayor all the feet and knuckles each spring. Some people like them, not me.

Pigs I split from head to tail. Still have half a dozen more come fall. By next month the lambs, rabbits and chickens will be up on deck.

 

 

 

 

[Rob]

9 minutes ago, 41chevy said:

The New Constable is 20 / 22 years old and the son of one of the board members and has zero training in law or weapons. The mayor knew what I was doing and brought him for the specific reason of tossing his cookies.I give the mayor all the feet and knuckles each spring. Some people like them, not me.

Pigs I split from head to tail. Still have half a dozen more come fall. By next month the lambs, rabbits and chickens will be up on deck.

 

 

 

 

Amazing how many people cannot fathom what it takes to prepare the food they eat.

[Quickfarms]

There is another place that I often work at or near that cures ham and I just leave there wanting ham for dinner.

These snowflakes have no idea where there food comes from or for that matter where electricity comes from but they think electricity is the solution to global climate change

Sorry I digressed but I now have my under employed brainwashed son at home and he gets into it with his little sister who is more realistic

[davehummell]

How things change when i was little my gram and i would walk up to the neighbors and get a chicken for Sunday dinner she would kill it in the yard and we would be eating it for dinner. I have helped butcher cows hogs chickens not for the feint of heart. god only knows how many deer i cut up use to finish the cuts on the butcher block in the kitchen. For years we only eat deer meat made my own hamburg and sausage. I never buy meat at the grocery store use a guy i know for years he sells me what i want. This year i'm going to get out and fish a little harder for crappy and panfish fried up they are as good as any other fish. 

[mowerman]

God love ya .id like to be there sharing all that meat.........that’s  what I think about my stepdaughter and her goofy husband that live in Boston  I call them the royalty of New England right now their stuck in the house with their 2 small daughters ... lol have a ball... bob

[tjc transport]

that bring back memories of growing up on the farm. 

we used to process between 75 and 80 pigs every year. 

and if we did not have large pigs, the local stores would by 600 pounders and we would pick them up, and butcher them for them. 

the butcher shop is still there, but rarely used any more.

[General Ike]

This thread brings back memories.  My dad passed fall of my junior year in College (Gettysburg, PA).  I had a buddy a few years older than me that I knew from the Gettysburg FD.  He was a "townie" as college kids called them.  The townies called the kids "college pukes".  I was a tweener.  Anyhoo, my buddy owned a house just off campus and was gone often on his full time FD job in Maryland and he offered me one of the spare bedrooms that was substantially cheaper than living in my frat house.  We both hunted and fished.  Enter spring of senior year.  While we had dressed and butchered dozens of deer in the garage over previous years, it was always early in the morning and usually during weekdays, none of my friends were prepared for my offer to handle our frat pig roast in May.  Went to a local farm and bought a 75+ pound hog with a few frat buddies who couldn't resist coming for a ride in my suburban.  Hog tied it and brought it back to the garage.  Sorority girls from across the street came to see the commotion in their sun dresses and immediately were freaked out.  Original plan was to hit it between the eyes with a .22 but decided against it with all the battlefield tourists that were wandering town.  Next option was Dad's old Ka-Bar knife.  Needless to say that of the 5 frat buddies that were there, 3 puked, another ran off and only one stayed to help prep the hog for the roast.  The story was legend on campus.  No one complained when they ate it the next day however.

[davehummell]

Funny story on getting a pig Me and abby went over to the next farm and Gar raised white pigs we needed one for the market truck.In the bottom of the barn was about 50 150 lbs pigs we picked one out and i told ab don't screw this up make sure you shoot it right with the 22 pistol well he shot and the pig did a flip and landed back on his feet and took off  we spent some time looking for that damn pig  i shot it this time. 

[tjc transport]

nothing worse than a pig that don't want to die.

up until two years ago we did a pig roast twice a year. usually around 90 lbs.

i have been toying with the idea of making a cuban oven for smaller pigs.

[41chevy]

21 hours ago, mowerman said:

God love ya .id like to be there sharing all that meat.........that’s  what I think about my stepdaughter and her goofy husband that live in Boston  I call them the royalty of New England right now their stuck in the house with their 2 small daughters ... lol have a ball... bob

 From one small pig.

 

21 hours ago, davehummell said:

How things change when i was little my gram and i would walk up to the neighbors and get a chicken for Sunday dinner she would kill it in the yard and we would be eating it for dinner. I have helped butcher cows hogs chickens not for the feint of heart. god only knows how many deer i cut up use to finish the cuts on the butcher block in the kitchen. For years we only eat deer meat made my own hamburg and sausage. I never buy meat at the grocery store use a guy i know for years he sells me what i want. This year i'm going to get out and fish a little harder for crappy and panfish fried up they are as good as any other fish. 

My wife used to name all the lambs, I'd put their names on the cure wrap. She was slick, when came time to cook one she'd ask me to bring in what ever name she saw on the wrap.

I trade off pork to a farmer down the road for the equal weight in fresh beef.  I grew up near grandmas farm, tons of fresh potatos, vegies, Rhubarb,  eggs, chicken and fresh milk. Pears and apples right off the trees, a walk to the L.I. Sound or the Great South Bay for fish, clams and muscles, farm pond for fish and Laurel Lake for Bass and Trout.  Still do most all of that. Have not bought anything but coffee, Moxie, spices and Fritos in a grocery store for probably 35 or more years.

[General Ike]

Paul - 

I would love to know what the cost to acquire (raise, feed, vet, etc.) your protein compared to store bought.  Obviously there is a freshness component that you have that is superior to the store, but I have too many times heard that it is free when you have your own to slaughter.  Clearly it is not.  Would you estimate that your cost is 90% less than store?  75%? 50%?  Then too you have the factor that allows you to sell some which offsets cost, especially if you build some profit into your sale price after accounting for your time and labor to raise, feed, vet, slaughter etc.

It is probably a pipe dream at 43 years old, but I know enough to be dangerous at raising our own food.  My wife and I think often of what moving from our current life would be like.

[HeavyGunner]

37 minutes ago, General Ike said:

Paul - 

I would love to know what the cost to acquire (raise, feed, vet, etc.) your protein compared to store bought.  Obviously there is a freshness component that you have that is superior to the store, but I have too many times heard that it is free when you have your own to slaughter.  Clearly it is not.  Would you estimate that your cost is 90% less than store?  75%? 50%?  Then too you have the factor that allows you to sell some which offsets cost, especially if you build some profit into your sale price after accounting for your time and labor to raise, feed, vet, slaughter etc.

It is probably a pipe dream at 43 years old, but I know enough to be dangerous at raising our own food.  My wife and I think often of what moving from our current life would be like.

You could raise your own food just do your home work (like you are) ask lots of questions and be fully prepared before bringing a critter home and having to learn on the fly while scrambling for supplies. I have a good deal going. I have a tractor, a friend has a hay pasture. I use my tractor to help put up hay, in return I get farm raised critters and part of the hay. The other part of the hay goes to feed out packing stock which carry out any where from 1-5 elk every year for us along with several deer. My wife and I never have to buy meat (and never have had to) from a store unless we feel like it. It’s kind of nice being somewhat independent. We cure our own meats, make our own sausage and vacuum seal and can our own meats and many of our vegetables. We cook quite often in my Dutch ovens on our patio over wood or coal because we enjoy the process. To me it’s important to be part of the process of getting food to my table directly. I love the animals and have great respect for the and taking their lives to feed my family is something that I’m grateful for. 

[davehummell]

I look at the meat and pork in the local supermarkets and i then go over to the guy i know and pay half as much. Thirty years ago me and my friend bob plumbed his store so when i go in he will take care of me. I raise chickens and i trade eggs for stuff. I have some angora goats and my girlfriend spins the cape wool into clothing she does that instead of giving Christmas presents. 

[HeavyGunner]

25 minutes ago, davehummell said:

I look at the meat and pork in the local supermarkets and i then go over to the guy i know and pay half as much. Thirty years ago me and my friend bob plumbed his store so when i go in he will take care of me. I raise chickens and i trade eggs for stuff. I have some angora goats and my girlfriend spins the cape wool into clothing she does that instead of giving Christmas presents. 

It truly makes me happy seeing people from all over the country that hasn’t lost the self reliance that made this country. It gets depressing on the occasion that I catch the news when over at friends place and it’s nothing but doom and gloom and social media crap. This thread is refreshing break from the norm for me. 

[davehummell]

I refuse to listen to the news on the tv my girlfriend is addicted i say their as worthless as a 2 dollar hooker and as trustworthy as the  rooster i had to dispatch if you turned your back he would drive those spers right in your leg or ankle.

[Quickfarms]

Most if not all of the people here are better than the average sheep that our society is creating.

[41chevy]

10 hours ago, General Ike said:

Paul - 

I would love to know what the cost to acquire (raise, feed, vet, etc.) your protein compared to store bought.  Obviously there is a freshness component that you have that is superior to the store, but I have too many times heard that it is free when you have your own to slaughter.  Clearly it is not.  Would you estimate that your cost is 90% less than store?  75%? 50%?  Then too you have the factor that allows you to sell some which offsets cost, especially if you build some profit into your sale price after accounting for your time and labor to raise, feed, vet, slaughter etc.

It is probably a pipe dream at 43 years old, but I know enough to be dangerous at raising our own food.  My wife and I think often of what moving from our current life would be like.

 I grow most of the feed, Sun Flowers,  Cattle Corn and Barley.  I do buy additional anti viral and vitamins to the feed and grow clover to supplement the pellets for the rabbits. If you figure cost per acre for 200 or so acres, fertilizer, water and the hours tending  the animals, the crops, the equipment and the storage silos the time preventing mold and rot. 7 days a week rain or shine.  Vet visits for various issues, mainly with sheep.there was a disease a few years ago where I had to shoot and burn over 75 sheep, decontaminate the sheep barn and turn out field and toss all the feed. Time to butcher and the cost of the cold room, smokers and utilities than I probably  equal a store price or 15 to 20% higher. My eggs probably cost in the end $5 or $6 a dozen but my chickens are fed Marigold seed mix, give a sweet tasting bright yellow yolk. All the above is pricey BUT I know how they are raised, what they eat, and how they are butchered and preserved for eating. I KNOW my butcher shed is clean enough to do surgery in and set up with positive pressure to keep most all the contaminates out. Never really thought about the cost, my wife and I just refused to be dependent on others. That was how both of us were raised and how our parents were raised.

I can't legally sell any as I am not officially FDA approved, I can't even give it to the food banks, veterans home,senior homes or even the homeless.

Edited March 25, 2020 by 41chevy

[tjc transport]

our production cost was almost zero. we fed the pigs leftovers from the farm .

any produce that did not sell that day in the farm stands was fed to the pigs.

chickens were pretty much wild, they fed themselves while roaming the yard. 

the chickens also kept bugs almost non existent.  

[41chevy]

2 hours ago, tjc transport said:

our production cost was almost zero. we fed the pigs leftovers from the farm .

any produce that did not sell that day in the farm stands was fed to the pigs.

chickens were pretty much wild, they fed themselves while roaming the yard. 

the chickens also kept bugs almost non existent.  

Can't have a farm stand in my piece of paradise in  Va  unless it is ADA compliant unless it was grandfathered in. . .not even a self serve table with a money jar. Libs killed all that now that the village is incorporated. It turned into a giant home owners association. Maine I can do pretty much anything but have no animals there.

[tjc transport]

the stands are still there and doing well, but there have been no hogs on the farm in over 25 years. 

when i built the big stand out on the main highway back in 78 we could do pretty much what we wanted. but now you can not wipe your asterisk in the outhouse  behind the barn without town approval. 

and speaking of that outhouse, the town wants it taken down because it is not sanitary. even though it has been in the current location since it was erected in 1882.