I'm glad to hear that, Infidel,
This was late 1990 during a stint of working in the UK on a couple of farms (lots of very fond memories – seems appropriate to post UK stories and memories). The procedure was performed by a Vet (ironic), but I had to hold the piglets while it was being done. The memory of the event is obviously very vivid. Albeit dated, and slightly dramatically re-told for (hopefully) comic effect. It was a very barbaric, cruel process.

The farm (Park Farm) raised organic ducks, pigs, geese and beef and had a small butcher's shop. I had to take the pigs to the abattoir when they were about 16 - 20 weeks depending on the farmer's estimate of back fat. I collected them a few days later to take to the butcher shop. They used to leave the lungs hanging out of the carcass. The butcher called them "lights" and said they would sell well. Yuck!

At one point they wanted to change the boar, a lovely Gloucester Old Spot pig called Boris as he was starting to mount his own piglets. They couldn't find a buyer, couldn't give him away, and didn’t want to keep him in his own paddock, so they opted to put him down. Poor bastard. I thought they would have butchered him, at least for sausages, but the farmer reckoned the meat of an old boar was too strong. By his reckoning, even a 5% mix of his meat in the sausages was too strong, and the general public wouldn't like it.

We were going to dig a hole with a machine and bury him deep, but the farmer’s friends in the local hunt wanted his carcass to feed the hounds. I guess they would have discovered the doggy shits you speak of. Some time later they also took away an old horse that had died. God knows how they cut them up to feed the dogs. Chainsaw I suppose.

I have seen lots of boar sold in Italy, mainly smoked and served as salami. I remember in one shop they had haunches of boar hanging from the ceiling, still with the dark hairs on. It looked like something from an Asterix comic. At the time, Australia was exporting boars to Europe because of a shortage of wild habitat. Australia is rife with wild pigs; I've seen 3 carcasses on the side of the road in the last month alone, while working in Western Qld. Little black spotted buggers. "pigging" is a favoured pastime of some country folk - take one 4WD, a violent dog and a bloke with a gun, add wild pigs and there is a day's entertainment.

I enjoyed working over there – first time I’ve seen barned cattle in winter, and the intensive small farm methods. Similar ethos to here, just in a smaller area.

But, I'll never forget the piglet that ate it's own nuts.

Oh, and thanks for the spelling tip. Was written late at night on a smartphone.
( Ken Oath, Wed 30 May 2012, 22:40, 2 replies)

Razorback
www.imdb.com/title/tt0087981/ - came out about 2 years after we'd moved to Mt Isa.
Scared the bejuggery out of me. Fucking Jaws-Pig killing folks & destroying remote houses in the middle of fuck-knows-where!
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Wed 30 May 2012, 23:19, closed)

Awesomely bad movie
I loved it.

I liked the scene where they put the animatronic head and arse behind opposite ends of a truck to make it look even bigger.
And the freaky Aussie redneck 'roo hunters. Really?
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Thu 31 May 2012, 2:40, closed)

An old boar would still stink that's very much true.
And as for spelling mishtooks, well it wouldn't be QOTW without picking up on them now would it :D

Glad you enjoyed your time in the UK though. I often wish I hadn't waited until I was in my 40s to try farming in another country.
( Infidel , shit and wrong, Thu 31 May 2012, 3:25, closed)