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macconraoi · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject:

How much back fat would you be happy with ?

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Camile · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 2:40 pm Post subject:

Hello,

I suppose 20mm+ should be ideal doesn't it ? but the more the better honestly ..

I think the standard commercial fat layer is around 16mm isn't it ?

Camile

phil · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 3:04 pm Post subject:

I would want at least an inch on the back.
Its interesting that the pig breeders on here seem to agree on 100 to 110KG as the best killing weight, why is that?.

macconraoi · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject:

I find that they pile on the fat after that
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Camile · Posted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:25 pm Post subject:

Hello,

Well I've just weighted my pigs with the string again ... and I think it's gonna be the last time I do so because they are now weighting 131kg and 138kg.

Hopefully they should be fat enough and will report back once the deed is done to confirm everything ..

Camile

dara · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Mayo

Very unusual that you're actually hoping that the pigs have laid down alot of fat. I've sold quite a few Glos' Old Spots and while everyone agrees the meat is sweat and delicious a few have remarked on the amount of fat. Personally, given the GOS reputation for fat, I was quite surprised at how lean the meat was even compared to a thin rind like the Landrace.
If you don't have access to the 'fattier breeds' like GOS, Saddleback or Middle White you can influence the ammount of fat laid down through diet and housing. Any pig fed a high carb and fat diet, confined to well insulated accommodation will convert what is normally burned up exercising into layers of fat.
In the US, where they breed the fattest people in the world but dislike fat pigs, commercial pigs are fed a food additive called paylean which makes the poor pig develope more muscle than fat.

phil · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 1:43 pm Post subject:

Obviously you have the pigs back from the slaughterhouse,did your string thing work, was it close to the actual weight of the pigs,and did you have enough fat on them.

Camile · Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2009 7:19 pm Post subject:

Hi Phil,

I got the pigs back from the abattoir on wednesday .. lovely carcasses so they were ...

the string thing actually works but seems like it's giving a dead hung weight more than the actual live weight ..

but it worked out at about +/- 5kg .. so not a bad estimate ..

As for the fat .. they were plenty fat enough indeed .. the smallest of the 2 had his inch of fat ..while the other had a bit more ..

I had enough fat to make 15kg of sausages, 5kg of salamis and about 10kg minced in the freezer, plus some flare fat to render later on ..

Lovely taste from that meat .. well worth keeping pigs !

Camile