Comments on: Hog Killing on the Farm

By: Jim Cofer

Jim Cofer — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:45:43 +0000

Chloe, I am an officer in the Snellville (Georgia) Historical Society and am currently writing an article for our newsletter concerning my experiences with “Hog Killing Time Around Snellville.” I would like very much to include your one of your photos of the family hog killing event (one with several hogs hanging and Brother John facing away) as it resembles very closely the process I am describing. We are non-profit and do not derive any revenues from our newsletter (approximately 200 copies per publication). Please let me know if it is available, with attribution to you of course, and if there is a charge. Many thanks in advance for your consideration. Jim

By: Willie

Willie — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 17:16:20 +0000

I’m an old southern Alabama boy whose family always killed hogs at the first hard freeze in the year. We used fifty-five gallon drums and filled them with water boiled in wash pots on the ground nearby to scald the hogs. Then we scraped the hair off until the skin was a nice white. I remember the eating with fondness, but the experience was a hard cold exercise in endurance. One of the best tasting dishes we got on hog killing day was “liver and lights.” The “lights” were the lungs of the pigs. Those are now against the law to sell due to the possibility of humans catching swine pneumonia. I have written a short story about the killing process on the farm, but it has not yet been published. It will be in an anthology of short stories I’m writing about share-cropper life (ours) in the South. I hope to have it finished in the next couple of years.

By: jim kerr

jim kerr — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 03:22:38 +0000

I just view your post, boy, did it bring back memories. The last time my dad killed hogs was in 1955. I stayed home just to watch. The last time I helped kill hogs was at my fil. with my 12 year old son. the killing started at 7am and by 11, 7 hogs was blocked out and in the smoke house. Over the next few days the sausage was made . my fil was the butcher for the local store so he knew his business.. By the time one hog came out of the scalding box and dehaired another hog as ready to go in.

By: marian stafford

marian stafford — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:18:27 +0000

During the second world war our parents decided to move to the country from the city(Louisville, Ky.) They moved to an area of mostly farmers of German ancestry,.some recent. They were hard working folks and many had farms and raise much of their food. Hog killing time was a celebration and my grandmother told me I could go help after the hogs were killed. I was excited as my family were urbanites only moving to the "country" because they thought it would be safer from possible enemy attacks. So I went to help the neighbors. They gave me a huge white apron(spotlessly clean) and a chair,turned backward at the sink..I was excited, not knowing what my job would be. Soon they dumped a huge pile of hogs' intestines in the sink ! I was to clean them and rinse them really well to have them ready for the sausage! I felt important, but it was probably a job that some one else didn't want to do. The worse thing about the job was the water in their house was sulphur water!!! After gagging at first I managed to finish my job, I was about ten years old. Good memories! Marian

By: Jo Ann

Jo Ann — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:45:47 +0000

Chloe- love these pictures! That is exactly like the hog killings I remember at the Pritchard farm in Bertie County when I was a young "farm "girl!! Nothing better than that fresh fried pork tenderloin and fresh sausage! Enjoy reading your blogs.
Jo Ann

By: kathleen

kathleen — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 19:20:09 +0000

Chloe – I have just reviewed this post again and have many, many questions that can best be answered only in person! Next week when I return to Big Mill I will bring my inquiries. Years back in the winter of 1972, I participated in a "hog killing" in Eastern Kentucky, on a farm called "Lend-A-Hand." I am now looking for the pictures to prove it. We hung the animal from a backhoe's elevated bucket. See you next weekend for Easter! Shall I bring a ham? 🙂 Kathy