The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1922-12-06
"HOC Killing Time"


Along with the first cold spell come
thoughts of butcherin gtime. Nine
important steps in killing hogs
which make the work easier and
produce better pork are suggested
by D. T. Herman, Extension Swine
Specialist.
l.. Select only those hogs which
are in good health and are gaining
in flesh. Hogs which are losing
flesh make poor meat. The weight and
condition at which to kill depends
on whether you prefer large CT small
cuts of pork and whether you want
a fat or lean carcass. Most farm
ers kill heavy fat hogs, but the pack
ers put premium on nogs IN me.
dunn flesh weighing around 200 to
225 pounds.
2. Keep the hogs off feed for at
least "a hours before killing and
keep them quiet but provide them
with all the water they will drink
This clears the system: Of food, facil-
itatcs bleeding, and lessons some
dagger in cleaning. Hogs that are
excited before killing dress out n
dark red carcass, and if they are
whipped or bruised in any way, the
bruised spots must be trimmed out
shoulder, for this causes the blood
to clot and means waste in trim
ming. Place the hog flat on his
back, make a longitudinal incision
in the neck, insert the knife or
inches, with the cutting edge to-
wards the breast bone, raise the
point of the knife up against the
breast bone and withdraw. Then lay
, the hog on his side to bleed out
Do not drag the carccss over the
ground, as this bruises the meat.
d. Scald 1-2 to 2 minutes with
water Ids to 1G0 degrees Fahrcn-
, hcit. Water hotter than this makes
the hair set if the hog is left in
water more than one minute. Water
much cooler than this requires too
much soaking to loosen the hairs.
If you have no thermometer, stick
your finger into the water three
times in rapid succession. If the
fort the water is about right. Re-
move the hair from the legs, ears
| and head first as these cool most
rapidly. A teaspoonful Of I've or Il
small shovcful of wood ashes to
30 gallons of water will help loosen
the scurf. Remove as much hair as
possible with the scraper, because
all hair that is shaved off will stand
out when the pork is cured.
5. In removing the intestincs use
the left hand inserted between the
intestincs and the meat to guide
the knife and keep the intestines
from being cut.
6. Wash the carcass thoroughly
both inside and out.
7. Either remove the leaf fat en-
tircly or loosen it and allow it to
hang b ythe hpper end. This facili-
tatcs cooling.
8: Split the carcass down the
middle of the bacbbone-not on
either side as is often done, for this
through the head. In the South it
is a common practice to cut the
flanks away from the hams, but in
doing this care must be taken not
to cut into the ham. These prac-
tices hasten thorough dooling.
.. Never cut up the carcas until
it has had time to cool thoroughly.
Green Feed For Laying Hens
The hen likes to have sufficient
amount of green succulcnce during the
winter months. 1t is essential for
health and it is also essential for egg
production. Green feed acts as ton
lc and also as laxative, keeping the
birds in the best of conditiOs.
How are we going to supply this
essential form of feed during the
winter months? One Of the most
satisfactory methods is in the form
of sproutcd oats, says N. r. Mchr-
hof, Extension Poultry Specialist,
who says that other good forms
nj ,,l,