In this guide we’ll look at how pig home slaughter works on a smallholding, when pigs are typically ready, some of the breeds commonly kept by smallholders, and how much meat you might expect from a finished pig.

If you keep pigs on a smallholding, there usually comes a point where you start thinking about what happens when the time comes.

Many smallholders raise pigs for meat and want the final stage to be carried out calmly and respectfully in familiar surroundings. For some, home slaughter can provide an alternative to transporting animals to an abattoir.