# Butchering questions



## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

I am butchering my first kids this Fall/winter. 

I plan to make a few chops and some ground. To do that, it looks like you split the carcass. How do y'all prefer to cut the bones? I see meat hacksaws all over the place, but I've also heard sawzalls work well, and I'm all for faster and easier if that's true. I've even seen some butcher style sawzall blades online that got mixed reviews. 

What is your favorite knife for this? Just a regular hunting knife or a butcher knife? 

I process chickens a lot and have some pretty good knives for that, but I'm thinking this job needs a little more. 

I also have seen this spinal cord removal tool online. Is this really necessary?


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

We butchered for the first time last fall and i believe we used hack saws, the kids were young so we didn't need much more than a good knife .


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

The downside to sawzalls is that the cleanup of the tool is not easy. I use a wood hand saw, one of these new ones with the aggressive teeth. Easier cleanup faster than hack saw not much slower than sawzall


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## Chadwick (Jan 24, 2014)

Buy one just for meat, don't use one that has cut wood!

Put a thin layer of lard on the saw before and after use to prevent rusting.

Fun fact old carpenters used tallow on their saws and tools all the time, for easy of sawing by lubrication and for rust control.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

We have a old hack saw we use for the cows. I know your looking at how long the carcass is and thinking wow but it's not that bad and doesn't take long. Even if clean up for a sawzall wasn't a pain I don't think it's worth the extra money.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

I use a Hunting knife and usually bring my goats in half front half then rear half I can cut up a 120# goat fast but all I do is debone and then can or freeze the meat unless I'm looking for something special. Then I boil the bones and make broth.


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Have any of you tried this method of skinning?






It seems to work really well for deer, should work for a goat,too, right?


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## -cheyenne- (Sep 2, 2014)

I think that would work... i've watched vedios on youtube and several people do that.( skinning )


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

we had ours done back in April. I only used my kitchen knives and cut along the joints. no saw required. he was over 1 yr old.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I don't see why it wouldn't work for a goat.
Someone showed my husband how to do this last year with his deer and he came home and was so excited about how easy it was


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## nchen7 (Feb 25, 2013)

oh and scissors. they were key too.


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

Wow... That was pretty slick!


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. I just thought of another question. This is about slaughter.

I plan to use a captive bolt stunner to knock them down before bleeding them out because I keep my goats in a semi urban area and I cannot fire a gun here. Plus I have never fired a gun before and have no idea what I'm doing in that regard.

So far everything I've read on this forum says you should not try to kill a goat with a shot to the forehead, like you would a cow, hog or lamb. People say that a goat's skull is too thick there and it might fail, so a better place is behind the skull. 

Is this true? I think it would be easier to use the captive bolt on the forehead, but who knows. I plan to practice on a piece of wood first just to get the hang of the kick back.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Back behind the horns is a soft spot that works well for putting them down.


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## Greybird (May 14, 2014)

Seeing that skinning method made me cringe, but that's probably just the taxidermist in me screaming NOOOoooooo!!
I've been programmed to see wasting a good, mountable cape skin as, well .... maybe not quite a crime, but close to it.
(I admit that it looks pretty efficient, though, especially if no proper hanging gambrel is available.)


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

So what exactly happens to the skin during this method that would make it unsuitable for taxidermy? Does it stretch too much, making it look too big on the animal? 


Wondering what you thought this method would do to the hide, if someone wanted to tan it and make it into something?


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Ok I have a couple other questions. 

I am looking at gambrels and reading all the reviews. It seems like people think the adjustable gambrel is best because small animals (compared to deer) like goats are hard to fit on the deer sized gambrels. Their legs are too short and so it's hard to get them spread far enough apart to hang them.

Have you all had that trouble? What gambrel works best for you? I know some people just use an old green metal fence post, but I'd like to use a real venison gambrel.

Also, what way is best to suspend them with? I was just going to buy some metal cable and a pulley from home depot. But I also have a come along winch that might be better. My shoulders have been acting up so I'm trying to not strain my joints too much. Gettin' old...


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

I just looked at the one my husband has for his deer. I would think a good sized goat....for sure like a yearling would fit on it. As for pulling them up for the deer we just throw a good rope over a good tree branch and use the truck or quad and pull it up. The cows we have (can't think of the name) but it's a round thing that hangs from a tree with a cable and we do the same thing with the truck just using a chain


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I bought a 'generic' gambrel and tried to use it last weekend on an American guinea hog... Had to use a zip tie for one leg cause the gambrel was too big. It should work fine for goats though.


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

Hey folks. Well I butchered the two kids last Saturday and I just wanted to update the archives in case anyone else has questions about it.

I used this bolt stunner and it worked very well for this:

http://www.qcsupply.com/farm-livest...s/blitz-kerner-captive-bolt-stunner-only.html

I used this blade as a skinner and zipper. Really happy with its performance and cost

Wyoming Knife Knife in Camouflage Sheath WKSP-C https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YCXT9I/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_9oWtub10KF2WG

The same company makes a nice 
Hack saw that zipped through bones like a hot knife in butter. I took your advice and didn't bother getting a sawzall.

That company also makes a nice gambrel that adjusts down for small game (kids were only 50 lbs) and I used that as well.

The first one took me and hour and the second only 45 minutes.

The hardest part for me was the beginning and the end skinning. I also really struggled keeping hair of the carcass.

Thanks for all the advice and I'll let you know how the curry turns out!

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## Terra Mia (Dec 21, 2011)

Where on the head to you have to stun them? Can you share the pdf that you have regarding where to do it? 
~Kat


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## milk and honey (Oct 31, 2010)

I like the looks of that knife! I've been searching for something small like that for skinning! Guess Christmas will come early...


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## Baphomet (Jun 15, 2013)

It looks like you read my review. I'll see if I can find the pdf, but basically the stunner is placed behind the poll or horns, at the back of the skull instead of at the forehead. I rested it there and pointed it towards the lower jawbone just to make sure it was pointing away from me.


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