Feral pigs

[Socrates]

What kind of dishes to they do with badgers? Is it a big thing, or a rural indulgence?

It's definitely a delicacy. I've seen a couple of online Shops advertise badger meat, but it's not a common occurrence.

Badger ham seems to be popular among the people who do eat it. From what I remember from the hunting license course, they require a lot of preparation to make them palatable. For one , only the younger ones a destined for the freezer, and even then you have to be quick to remove the musk glands.

[Socrates]

If tag a pig here, we are obligated to have it tested for Trichinosis and more recently for African Swine flu. The state pays for the test, and also for the disposal of an infected carcass.

For own consumption you can get away with not doing the test, but no game dealer is going to accept a pig carcass without an all clear from the state vet.

Interestingly enough, same applies for badgers, as they are considered edible here.

Forgot to add, in some parts of Germany the pigs also need to be tested tor Cesium 137. (Due to Chernobyl)

[Methos]

Over here where I hunt pigs get gutted and chopped up after the hunt and they go into the freezer for 2 weeks - the main worry is Trichinosis - you can take a piece of the lung and diaphragm to the lab and have it tested if you want to make dried ham.

Skaaphaas - In Europe it isn't feral pigs - it is wild boars. All black/gray when grown. Feral pigs are multicoloured.

[Skaaphaas]

Fair enough. I’ve read enough Asterix and Obelix that I should know this.

[Sean KZN]

That would be a bushpig rather than feral in all likelihood. Cane-fed bushpig is the finest (game) meat. Especially spit-roasted.

Missed this thread somehow. Cane fed bush pig is indeed very good game meat. Cane rat as well, unless from an area with out cane, like marshes, then they are just rats.

[oafpatroll]

That would be a bushpig rather than feral in all likelihood. Cane-fed bushpig is the finest (game) meat. Especially spit-roasted.

You aren't wrong about the deliciousness of cane fed bushies but this really was a feral porker.

[wthang]

Cane fed interests me big time. Like Karoo lamb.

[LEGION]

best meat

[Againstthegrains]

Would feral pigs not interbreed with bush pigs?

Happens a lot in the Southern cape where there are a lot of bush pigs and small free range pig farms. You often have bush pigs breaking through the fences to get lucky with a domestic pig on heat. Hence the babies are often born with stripes. In fact it is quite common here for farmers to allow this on purpose, mixing pink landrace pigs with other domestic races like Kolbroek, Duroc, European Boar and Bush pig to get some new genes in, and to get a hardier race of pig that gains weight easily on the veld, is more hardy, and makes better parents.