Piggery Farming Pdf
- Piggery Farming Business Plan Examples
- Piggery Farming In South Africa Pdf
- Piggery Farming Project Proposal Pdf
How to start a piggery business in Zimbabwe and the business plan. Posted by StartupBiz Zimbabwe Aug 24. Is high, about 1000 metric tonnes per month. This article will explain how to start a pig production business in Zimbabwe, and the business plan. Get the Pigs Production Business Plan (PDF, Word And Excel). How a Ugandan Woman Became a Millionairess from Piggery Commercial Pig Farming in Uganda, Africa RACHAEL Mubiru was tired of being a jobless housewife with no income.
- DOWNLOAD FREE PIGGERY HOUSE DESIGN BOOKS. In fish farming the first culture chamber used was the earthen pond, and because of the requirements about the quality of soil which must ha. COLLASPSIBLE MOBILE FISH POND Use of collapsible mobile pond is ideal for urban dwellers and a very easy way to raise your own fish. The mobile ponds as.
- PIGGERY BUSINESS PLAN SAMPLE TEMPLATE. Pig farming which is a subset of the agricultural livestock farming industry is a business that particularly focuses on the rearing of pig and piglets. Other complimentary businesses include pig meat processing, et al.
Piggery Projects In Zimbabwe Pdf 39 >> DOWNLOAD (Mirror #1)
85e802781a Comments for How a Ugandan Woman Became a Millionairess . am a student from Zimbabwe and am in the process of writing a . starting a piggery project by: . How to profit from pig farming. . pig farming manual pdf; pig farming for profit; piggery profitability; . Figure 6: Figure of how the 1m is added in the farrrowing room.39 Figure 7 Relationship chart . one of their projects is a piggery. Opportunities and challenges of pig production in . The piggery sub-sector is . Piggery%20Study%20Complete%20version.pdf?size=519235 . Kolare O B 1999 Piggery . BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE ZIMBABWE RED CROSS . Improvement of the Piggery project in . The pig industry is a flourishing industry in Zimbabwe and . i want to start a pig farm in mazowe mashonaland central zimbabwe . piggery project on a . with pig farming but the waste from the pigs. pig . Pig farming is not only a profitable business . farming so that we can venture in the pig farming project. . Zimbabwe and my pigs are in Musana along . How to Raise Pigs. . If possible, begin your pig raising project in early spring or in late summer--this way, when the piglets are growing the most, . STARTING A SMALL PIGGERY BUSINESS Noreen Nicole Tio. Loading . Proper Housing for Pigs -Tamang Sukat ng Kulungan- B-MEG Premium Hog Raising . June 2011 Agricultural Business Plan Guidelines Directorate Co-operative and Enterprise Development DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES. Farmer's Hand Book on Pig Production (For the small holders at village level) . Vaccination Schedule for Pigs 74 References 75. PIGGERY PRODUCTION AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF RURAL PEOPLE IN WARD 21 OF GUTU DISTRICT, MASVINGO PROVINCE, ZIMBABWE Bernard . implementation of piggery project. The people who have started pig farming in Kenya are now producing high quality meat and making good . Keeping pigs is my project this year. . Kelvin Zimbabwe. Learn pig management: for commercial production, self sufficiency, or a hobby. This course is relevant to whatever production system you use. Study by distance . A preliminary review of regulatory constraints affecting pig industry in Zimbabwe . slaughter figures were going up from 80000 pigs in 2007 to about 100000 . A preliminary review of regulatory constraints affecting pig industry in Zimbabwe . slaughter figures were going up from 80000 pigs in 2007 to about 100000 . How to setup a pig farming business. Posted on January 14, 2011 by slashy27. Gerard Dawns Pig Farming Business Ebook. . Outdoor housing of pigs. Pigs can also be kept outside in camps where shade structures provide the necessary protection against . (ILI Extensive Pig Housing, . 39 . Figure 4.11 Ranking . PROVIDE Provincial Decision-Making Enabling Project . RSA . role of pigs in both the social and economic lives of people the -,., , , . Piggery Project. Sustainability is a buzz word in the aid industry. We do great work and our vision is that these projects would transform the community for . Zimbabwe 2018 National Budget PDF. . How to start a piggery business in Zimba. . Website of the Zimbabwe Revenue . Mathew Rusike undertakes a vibrant piggery project; . Matthew Rusike Childrens home was founded in 1950 by the late . Piggery designs pdf Images of piggry house Pigary housing design . It is considered a very smart investment for a project, . ALISA WOMENS FARMING PROJECT. . (piggery and small ruminant) due to the rebels over Four hundred Fifty (450) bushels of seed rice moved by the project, . Manual for Pig Rearing In Uganda . Mixing dry feed for the pig 39 . Starting Pig Farming Business Plan (PDF) Posted . The amount of capital you need for your pig farming business will depend on the size of your piggery farming project. 3D graphics animation and walk through of construction methodology for . Timelapse video of poultry project . How to Raise Your Own Pigs For . Pigs for the Freezer: A Guide to Small-Scale Production . DIY Projects for Farms, Smallholdings & Gardens' Practical instructions for over 50 livestock DIY projects. The Aberdeen Piggery project has grown, . Over fifty pigs are available for purchase, mostly about six months old and weighing in from 60kg. Goat Project. Goats are easy to raise and they multiply fast. Zimbabwe weather and general environment are good for raising goats. Forum about a business plan for Piggery Project. Pig Industry. . may you kindly assist me with a project proposal for piggery in Zimbabwe. .
Home-smoked, mahogany-colored bacon, plump juicy hams,fresh spicy sausage and snowy lard are mostly nostalgicmemories in this country today.. but there's no reasonwhy the time-honored art of curing and smoking meat can'tbe revived by the modern homesteader. As a matter of fact,there's a couple of very good reasons why it should be.
In this age of antibiotics, hormones, overcrowded feedlots,preservatives and quick-cure methods, producing one's ownis practically the only way to be assured of quality meat.Furthermore, raising a hog is a project especially suitedto the small or beginning farmer because:
• The capitalinvestment is low.
• The project is short term.
• The family garden can provide a substantial amount ofhigh-quality food in the pig's diet at negligible cost.
Last summer my husband, Arthur, and I undertook the projectof raising and butchering two hogs.. one for ourselvesand one for a friend. We rendered the lard, made sausage,cured and smoked bacon and hams.. all with reasonablesuccess on the initial try. Our experience should offerencouragement to anyone else contemplating such anundertaking for the first time.
How Many Pigs Should You Raise?
First of all, should you raise one pig or two? The fact isthat a lone hog doesn't grow well at all (he likes to havecompany).. while today's average family probablydoesn't eat more than one pig in a year. So what's to do?
There are at least two ways out of this dilemma. One is tofind a friend who would like to raise his own porker buthas no place to do it. Offer to raise a second pig for yourcomrade who will, in turn, bear his share of the cost andhelp with the butchering. It will be no more trouble foryou to raise two hogs than one, the pigs will have eachother for company and you'll be doing someone a favorbesides!
A second alternative is to raise and butcher two pigs, onefor home consumption and one to sell. Although all stateshave laws regarding the butchering and selling of meat(check with the nearest slaughterhouse), I believethat — in general practice — no one bothers thesmall farmer who raises for himself and sells to hisfriends. (Athird alternative, of course, isthe raising of one or more 'extra' hogs for sale on thehoof on the open market. With the competition fromcommercial pig 'factories' what it is today, however, thisis no real alternative at all — Editor.)
Should you have doubts about the feasibility of sellinghome-butchered meat, find out before you start how many ofyour friends and neighbors would be interested in buyingfresh pork next fall. If your experience is anything likeours, you'll find so many people hankering for realfarm-raised meat that your pig will be 'all 'et' beforeit's even raised!
Although fresh pork does not command a large price, youshould be able to get back as much as you put into the pigyou sell, plus a little extra to offset the cost of the oneyou keep for yourself. Furthermore, if you'd like toreceive double the price for your product, you can do so bycuring and smoking some of the meat before you offer it forsale. I think I'm safe in promising that you'll have nodifficulty in selling your home-smoked bacon and hams. Withsuch an investment of time and labor (the cost is minimal)your sales might offset the entire cos of raising the hogs,and your winter's supply of pork would be free!
Let me state, however, that there are no guarantees in thisbusiness and I'm not suggesting that this is a 'sure, easyway to get cheap food'. Consider the following before youstart:
• Raising a healthy animal demands a certainamount of daily care and attention.
• Butchering is not aparticularly pleasant task.
• The meat must be cured overan extended period of time.
• Meat must be smoked andstored properly to insure its keeping qualities.
Then again, common sense and a little patience are the onlybasic requirements for being a successful hog-raiser andbutcherer. If you like doing things for yourself and wantto start depending on your own hands, this is a good placeto start.
Buying Pigs
In farm communities, young pigs are usually offered forsale in the newspapers throughout the spring and summermonths. If you don't find any listed in the papers, askaround at farm supply stores or drop in on a stock sale.. but DON'T go dashing out to buy your pig with the firsttwinge of spring fever. To begin with your garden isn'teven planted, much less ready to feed a porker.. and ifyou buy too early you'll find yourself with an expensiveovergrown pet by August or September.
There are three things you should know before you buy.First, pigs are weaned and sold when they're eight weeksold. (Don't buy pigs weaned at six weeks 'cause they won'tbe as healthy.) Secondly, it is generally agreed that a pigshould be butchered when he's six months old; if you feedhim beyond this age you'll only be putting money into himthat you won't get back. Third, unless you have access to awalk-in cooler, you can't butcher until frosty weatherarrives. The temperature must be down to between 30 degrees and 40 degrees so the meat can hang and cool afterbutchering.
With this information, it's not very hard to decide when tobuy.. just subtract four months from the time that youcan plan on near-freezing weather in your neck of thewoods. Here in Michigan we butcher at the end of Novemberso we buy our pigs in late July. Conveniently, the gardenis just starting to produce some surplus at that time ofthe summer and it provides more as the pigs grow bigger andhungrier.
What Breed of Pig is Best for Meat?
The following breeds are popular as lean-meat producers andshouldn't be hard to find: Yorkshire, Duroc-Jersey,Berkshire, Hampshire, Poland-China, Chester White andTamworth. Ask for either sows (females) or barrows(castrated males), because the meat from a boar(uncastrated male) has a very unpleasant odor and taste. Ifyou have a choice, select the huskiest looking animals ofthe litter.. the ones that have short legs and plumplooking hams. You'll need a wooden crate or box totransport them in because a pig doesn't handle like otheranimals (you can't put a collar around his neck and leadhim where you want him to go).
General Care and Housing of Pigs
It's been said many times and I'll say it again: the pig isnot a dirty animal. It is his nature to root (heeats roots, seeds and nuts, and gets necessary mineralsfrom the soil) and — if confined in a smallspace — he will root in his own manure. But this is notby choice. Provide your pig with plenty of good, cleanrootin' by giving him as large an area of fresh sod as youcan afford to fence, put the pigpen in a different spoteach year.. and he'll stay clean.
Since pigs will root an area free from quack grass in aseason you might wish to confine your animals in a futuregarden plot where they can till the soil and fertilize itfor you at the same time! The pig fence need not be high(three feet is tall enough) but it must be of woven wireand anchored at the bottom with boards or logs. Pigs don'tgo over fences but they do go under.
Most literature on housing for swine suggests a floorless,portable house which can be moved to different parts of thepen as manure accumulates in one area. The house can bebuilt of scrap lumber or tin, and five feet square is anadequate size for two young hogs. In the summer, thestructure will provide shade for the pigs' nearly hairlessbodies (which are susceptible to sunburn). If you give thehogs straw during the winter, the animals will keep warm intheir house by digging a nest and lining it with thebedding.
Supply your porkers with a large enough space in which toroot, and you won't need to worry about them getting out oftheir pen. Some people put rings in their pigs' noses tokeep them from rooting, but this deprives the animal of animportant part of his diet. Good clean rootin' is essentialto Porky's health.. along with a constant supply ofclean drinking water, fresh air and the opportunity toexercise. When the weather turns cold, you can help keepyour hogs comfortable by warming their drinking water orliquid food. With these simple needs fulfilled and anadequate diet, your pigs should be a happy, healthy part ofthe homestead family.
Feeding Pigs
A farmer who raises hogs strictly for profit will feed themthe cheapest food he can get. This frequently includesstale white bread and large amounts of corn. When raisinghogs for your own consumption, however, you'll surely bemore careful of what they eat because the meat you producecan't be of any better quality than the feed that went intoit. If you're aware of food quality, then you know that'organically' grown feed produces the highest quality meatof all. Unfortunately, 'organic' feed is not usuallyavailable except to the farmer who raises it himself. So,until you're set up to produce your own you will have touse judgment in selecting the best feed available.
We did not buy any packaged, prepared hog food for ouranimals because such mixtures are expensive and almost sureto contain antibiotics and other additives. Instead, webought grain at the Farm Bureau and had it mixed and groundto our specifications.. it wasn't organic, but itwasn't full of expensive chemicals, either. We turned downwhite bread from a bakery, sour milk from a dairy and acrib full of dried-up corn of uncertain age. We acceptedmilk and household garbage from our neighbors, but didn'ttry to get any from restaurants.
What you feed your hogs will depend on what's availablewhere you live and your ability to evaluate it. Don't beafraid to ask questions and — if you tell someone(politely) that his garbage isn't good enough for yourpigs — it might set him to thinking a little.
In selecting food for your hogs, remember that they'reomnivorous. That is, they both like and need (just likehumans!) a widely varied diet in order to receive all thevitamins, minerals and protein that they require. Thefollowing list is by no means exhaustive but will give youan idea of some of the things that are good for pigs toeat.
Corn, grain and mineral salt. The grain may be fedwhole but several varieties are usually mixed and groundtogether. Corn is good but should not be used exclusively,soybeans are essential for their high protein content andrye is favored by many farmers in this area. Here is asuggested mixture:
We fed this grain ration twice a day and added cracked cornwhen the hogs got older. Whenever the pigs looked like theywere putting on too much weight, we stopped feeding theextra corn for a while.
Fruit, vegetables and greens. If your garden isunsprayed you can feel especially good about feeding thepea vines, cabbage leaves, squash, cucumbers and melons toyour hogs. (They're sure to like the greens and theirfavorite forage — pigweed [also calledlamb's-quarters] — is good eating for people as well ashogs. If you've never had any, pick a mess of the young,tender weeds this spring, clip off the roots and cook thewhole plant as you would spinach.) Canning time willproduce a bounty of peelings, core and pits for the pigs toeat.
Milk. Very good for pigs if you're lucky enough to havea cow that produces a lot. For our piggers, milk came inthree forms: they got all the whey from my cheese making;they received soured milk from a neighbor with a dairyherd; and they were fed reconstituted powdered milk. Thewhey and powdered milk were mixed with the hogs' grainration to make a 'soup', but they preferred to eat theclabbered, sour milk ungarnished.
Alfalfa hay. This growth food is rich in nitrogen,which is an important constituent of protein. Our pigsliked the hay so much that they rolled around in the foragebefore they got down to the business of eating it.
Pasture. Good pasture can supply from 20 to 300 of apig's feed requirements, and one acre can feed twenty100-lb. hogs. If you want to plant a pasture try alfalfa,clover and rape.. or a mixture of rape and oats.
Butchering Pigs
If you have a tendency to grow sentimental toward your hogsand postpone their butchering, remind yourselfthat — by the time the porkers are six monthsold — they'll be eating like mad and most of the gardengoodies will be gone. Butchering becomes a matter ofeconomic necessity to anyone who's not wealthy enough tosupport such a hungry pet. If you still feel toosofthearted toward the pigs, or simply don't have the timeto undertake such a large job, a slaughterhouse will do thework for you (for a reasonable fee) and return each animalin two impersonal-looking halves which will be a littleeasier for you to deal with.
Miami vice tv series episodes. If, however, you do intend to butcher your hogs — andyou've never slaughtered a large animal before — by allmeans get some knowledge, experience or help (preferablyall three) before you begin. You can get the experience byvolunteering to help a friend or neighbor with hisbutchering.. and you might obtain some help by seekingout a man fairly skilled in the art and offering him aportion of meat in exchange for his services. If neither ofthese avenues is open, go to the nearest slaughterhouse andask the owner if you may come and watch on his next hogbutchering day. Observe carefully, learn all you can andask the meat inspector to tell you how to check the glandson the hog for TB or other disease.
Some Spare Parts
When the old-timers slaughtered a hog, they utilized everyportion that was useful or edible.. including the tripe(intestines), head and feet. I'll have to confess thatArthur and I have not yet made headcheese, pickled pigs'feet or boiled tripe. Still I'm sure that these dishes canbe tasty as well as nutritional, and for the sake ofcompleteness I am including three recipes gleaned from oldbooks, but not supplemented by any experience on my part:
Making Headcheese
Clean and scrape the hog's head and wash thoroughly. Thrusta hot poker into ears and nostrils. Cover the head withslightly salted water, add bay leaf and onion and simmerfor several hours until the meat falls from the bones.Drain meat, pick it from the bones, shred it and seasonwith salt, pepper, sage and thyme. Pack the meat tightlyinto a bowl or crock, add a small amount of the liquid inwhich it was cooked, place a cover on top and weight thecover down. Let stand for three days in a cold place whilethe headcheese solidifies, then slice and serve cold likeluncheon meat.
Pickled Pig's Feet
Scrape and wash the pig's feet, soak them in cold water fartwo hours, wash and scrape again, then split the feetlengthwise. Cook the hocks in salted water flavored withvinegar, onion, sage, peppercorns and a few cloves. Whendone, pack the feet in small crocks, and cover with thewater in which they were cooked. This liquid will form agelatinous mass. Place a lid on the crock and keep in acold place until needed for the table.
Tripe
Tripe should be soaked for several hours for several thenscraped clean put into salted water and simmered for two orthree hour until it becomes jelly-like. Drain off theliquid and set it aside for later use. Put a tablespoon ofbutter into a saucepan. When the butter is hot add ateaspoonful of flour and cook a few minutes, but do notbrown. Then slowly add one cup of milk and stir the mixtureuntil smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, a dash of pepper and1/2 teaspoon onion juice, then add one cup of boiled tripeand stir until the tripe is heated. Serve immediately.
Other portions of the hog that are more common to today'stable — but still might be unfamiliar to some — arethe heart, liver, kidneys and tongue. These organ meats areextremely rich in nutrients, especially the B vitamins, andshould be eaten as fresh as possible for maximum foodvalue.
The simplest way to prepare liver, heart and kidneys is toslice the meat and fry it with onions. The tongue must beboiled first, then chilled in cold water so that the skinmay be peeled off: after that it can be eaten plain or madeinto hash with onions and potatoes.
Rendering Lard
The fatty pieces which cling to the intestines, ribs andother parts of a hog may be rendered into lard. Before theavailability of vegetable oils, this lard served the familyfor baking (it makes a beautiful, snowy pie crust), frying,preserving food and soap making. It was also a barter stockin trade. Whatever you intend to do with yours, however,the first step — which removes excess moisture andprevents spoilage — is called rendering. The operationis usually done outside because of the odor it produces:
Wash and chill the fat trimmings and cut them into smallchunks. Then place the pieces in a heavy kettle (but do notfill it full) and cook slowly at 210-212 degrees, whilestirring to prevent sticking. The temperature will rise asthe water evaporates, but do not let it go higher than255 degrees. As the water evaporates, brown cracklings willbegin to float. Remove them.. otherwise they'll sink tothe bottom and burn. The lard will be done when the steamceases to rise. If the lard is intended for consumption,strain it through cheesecloth; if not, place it directlyinto clean crocks. Cover and store in a cool, dry place.
Not too many years ago, the 'cracklings' from the lard werea highly prized delicacy. I remember crunching onthem — hot and crispy from the oven — myself.People didn't worry about cholesterol then, and theyprobably had no reason to, since they got a lot ofexercise. If you want to try cracklings, they can be eatenplain, mixed with flour and made into biscuits or mixedwith cornmeal and made into Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple.
How to Make Sausage
Besides the fatty pieces that you've rendered into lard,there will be — after the cutting up — a number of'trimmings'. Rejoice, for these small pieces of meat thatdon't seem to belong anywhere are the stuff that sausage ismade of.
The following instructions are for making sausage pattiesrather than the link sausages (which require packing themeat into cases made from the pig's intestines). As far asI can see, the sausage patties taste every bit as good andthey're a whole lot easier to prepare.
First cut the meat that is to be used into chunks smallenough to fit into the meat grinder. The recommendedproportions are two parts lean meat to one part fat, butyou don't need to follow that formula slavishly. Just usewhat you have. Then, for each pound of meat add oneteaspoon salt, one teaspoon ground pepper and one teaspoonground sage. This is the basic seasoning for sausage and isusually quite satisfactory, though you might want toexperiment by adding some savory, allspice, cloves, gingeror sugar. The first time you make sausage it might be agood idea to try only a half-pound. After this is ground,you can fry some, taste it and then add either more meat ormore seasonings to suit your taste.
Run the meat through the grinder twice to pulverize it andmix in the spices. That's all there is to it! Shape themeat into patties, wrap each one in wax paper (so there's adouble layer between) and put them in the freezer. Topreserve sausage without freezing, place the patties insterilized jars or crocks, and pour half an inch of lardover them. The lard excludes the air and-as long as thecoating isn't broken and the crocks are kept cool-thesausage should keep indefinitely.
Scrapple Recipe
Scrapple, it would seem, can be made from just about anypart of the hog that one might choose. Some use cracklingsand others neck bones as the major ingredient. We make oursfrom sausage the way that Arthur's father used to do backin New York State. The following recipe was reconstructedfrom memory and the measurements are approximate.
First cook one cup of rolled oats in enough water (about 2cups) to make a thick porridge. Then do the same thing witha cup of cornmeal. Now mix these two cereals, add a poundof sausage and some more sausage seasoning. Pack themixture into a bowl or crock, chill until firm, cut intoslices and fry thoroughly. Serve the scrapple plain ordripping with maple syrup!
Cutting Up Pork
Now that we've disposed of the various small parts of thehog, let's get back to those two huge chunks of pork thatare hanging out in the cold. The accompanying diagrams above show two ways of looking at a hog, andshould help the novice understand what cut of meat comesfrom where. I will not attempt to give detailedinstructions for cutting up the meat, because this willdepend largely upon how you want to use it.
Curing Pork
There are two methods of curing to consider: the dry curein which the salt mixture is rubbed on the meat, and thewet cure where the meat is immersed in brine. Some peopleprefer the dry method because it requires less handling ofthe meat. We like a wet cure because we think it offersmore insurance against insect damage and spoilage. Somefolks do larger cuts by the dry cure method and use a wetcure on smaller pieces of meat.
Regardless of which method you use, first weigh each pieceto be cured, rub it with fine salt and allow the meat todrain, flesh side down, for 6 to 12 hours. Then proceed:
Dry Cure
For each 100 pounds of meat use:
• 6-8 lbs. of salt (use the greater amount in warmweather)
• 2-2-1/2 lbs. brown sugar, molasses or syrup
• 2 ounces saltpeter (available from drugstore or meatpacking plant)
• 5 ounces black pepper, ground
• optional: sage, savory or pickling spices or . . .
Do NOT omit the saltpeter from thisrecipe!
Mix the ingredients well and rub the mixture over all thesurfaces of the meat.. then pack the pork in a barrel,tight wooden box or crock. The heavier pieces should beplaced on the bottom, with the bacon and smaller chunks ontop. After about three days, take the meat out and repackit to insure complete contact with the cure. Leave the porkuntil the cure is completed.. this will take two daysfor each pound that each piece weighs. Thus, a 10-pound hamwill take 20 days in cure while a 4-pound piece of baconwill be finished in only 8 days. The liquid formed from themeat juices will aid in curing the heavier pieces.
Wet Cure
For each 100 lbs. of meat use:
• 9-10 lbs. of medium grain salt (use more salt in warmweather)
• 2-2-1/2 lbs, brown sugar or 4 lbs. unsulphured molasses ormaple syrup
• 2 ounces saltpeter
• 4-4-1/2 gallons of water
First note the weight of each piece of pork and add thefigures to get the total number of pounds of meat so thatyou can make up the required amount of brine. Pack the porkinto crocks and fill them with water. Then remove the meat,pour the water into a kettle, add the preservingingredients and mix up the curing brine. Ideally, thisbrine should be prepared a day ahead to insure its completedissolution. Then the meat is packed in thecrocks — with the largest cuts on the bottom — andcovered with the brine.
Our instructions said to top each container with a hardwoodcover and weight it down with a stone.. but we didn'thave any such lids so we laid a length of 2 by 4 across thetop of every crock, weighted it down and wedged bottlesbetween the beam and the chunks of pork in order to keepthe meat submerged. Obviously, such an arrangement needs tobe checked frequently since the meat mustn't be allowed torise out of the brine. It's a good idea to pour thesolution off about once a week, take the meat out andrepack it in a different position.
Try to keep the crocks cool but not cold because, in spiteof the large quantity of salt it contains, this solutionwill freeze if the temperature drops low enough. I'm notsure how cold it got in our spare room last year when theoutside temperature fell to zero and below.. but ourbrine froze and we had to move the crocks into the kitchen.
If the brine becomes 'ropy' — which means that a scurryforms on its top — empty the crocks, wash them out andwash the meat thoroughly. It's then best to repack the porkin fresh brine but-if this isn't possible — you cansalvage the original solution by boiling (but not burning!)it and skimming off the impurities.
The large pieces, like the hams, will require four days incure for each pound of meat.. thus a 20-pound ham willtake 80 days! (Country living builds patience.)
The smaller pieces, like bacon, need only three days incure per pound.. so a five-pound piece of bacon will beready in 15 days. Make yourself a chart showing when eachchunk a meat should come out and post it on the wallsomewhere. Sow every piece of pork in clean water for halfan hour when it's taken out of the brine and — if bychance a chunk has cured too long — leave it an extrathree minutes in the water for each day overtime in cure.
If your pieces of meat are all of different sizes, you mayfind yourself taking each one out at a different time. Wetried to group ours by leaving some pieces in a few daysextra and soaking them to compensate for the overcure. Thisway, we could smoke several pieces of meat at a time.
Smoking Pork
In order to smoke meat, one must either have a smokehouseor — as we do — access to a neighbor's. Thebuilding we use is made of wood, about three feet deep byfive feet wide and eight feet high at the center of itspeaked roof. A metal shield is propped against the backwall, a fire built on the dirt floor and the smoke allowedto escape under the eaves and through the shingled roof.
Most of the instructions and plans for building smokehousesfeature a fire pit removed from the smokehouse itself..possibly for safety and efficiency. But all the smokehousesthat I've ever seen in use have been the simple walk-inwooden buildings like the one owned by our neighbor. It'sprobably matter of individual taste. In building yoursmokehouse, don't be too concerned with providing ventsthrough which the smoke can escape. The purpose is to holdthe smoke in.. it'll find its own way out.
Figure 3 shows a smoker — suitable for small quantitiesof meat — made from a barrel, placed on an incline andconnected to a cement fire pit by means of a buried metalpipe.
For larger quantities and/or frequent use, a largersmokehouse is in order. Figure 4 shows such a design setover a pit and connected by a trench to a fire pit dug inthe ground. The trench and fire pit are covered with sheetmetal and the building has a false bottom — boredwith holes for the smoke to pass through — about afoot above ground level.
These instructions and diagrams will give you an idea ofwhat can be done.. combine them, improvise and see whatyou can come up with. As a finishing touch, be sure to addpoles — either of metal or green wood — from whichto hang the meat.
Remember that the principle in smoking is to allow thepyroligneous acid in the smoke to permeate and slightly drythe meat without cooking it. The longer and more slowly apiece of meat is smoked, the longer it will keep. If themeat is overheated, it will soften and fall into the fire;if it's scorched, it'll harden, crack and turn rancid. Theideal temperature for smoking is between 110 and 120 degrees.
Armed with this information and with your smokehouse inorder, you're ready to proceed. (We assume your meat hasbeen properly cured, taken out on time, soaked and washed.You may want to wrap it in cheesecloth to keep off thesoot, but this is not essential.)
Pass either a string or wire through the meat and form aloop around the pole. Hams should be hung with the heavierside up and the hock hanging down to retain the flavorfuljuices. The pieces of meat should not touch one another sothat the smoke can circulate freely to all parts. Checkeach chunk for pieces that are 'folded over' in a way thatwould prevent smoke penetration.
Use chips, sawdust and small pieces of wood for the fire.. keeping in mind that it's smoke you're after, not heat.Apple, hickory, beech, sassafras, maple and other fruit andnut woods are all suitable. Do not use resinouswoods. We got a lot of different advice about smoking:some people say to smoke constantly, others say smoke everysecond day. So we did it the way that was most convenientfor us.. we kept the fire going during the day and letit go out at night.
There are widely differing opinions — ranging from 2days up to 10 weeks! — on how long meat should besmoked. Again we relied on our own judgment and that of ourneighbor, who pronounced the bacon finished at the end ofthe third day and the hams on the fifth. The onlycriterion, apparently, is appearance.. properly smokedmeat should have from a light to dark mahogany color allover. The darker the color, the longer the meat will keep.
By the time you've tended the smokehouse for several days,your mouth will surely be watering for some of thatwell-earned meat.. and it's probably extraneous to tellyou that the bacon and hams should 'season' for another 30to 60 days to insure the best flavor. No doubt you'll starteating your product immediately.. but for the piecesthat you can't eat right away, here's how to goabout storing them:
Optimal storage conditions are cool (43 degrees) and dry.This will discourage one of the main problems, which isinsects, because they don't like dryness. For addedprotection, you can either (1) wrap the meat in cheeseclothor similar material, followed by layers of newspaper, andstore in heavy paper bags, tied at the top or (2) wrap themeat in muslin and bury it in boxes containing ashesretrieved from the smoking. The ashes are supposed toincrease the smoky flavor and this last method sounds likea good way to put away a ham until Easter time!
For more helpful pig farming information:
Piggery Farming Business Plan Examples
• All About Pigs and Pig Lingo
• Raise Your Own Pigs
• Tips for Raising Pigs During Sow Farrowing Time