Building a small pig only abattoir - how many cold rooms do I need

[drumhill]

Hi All,

I am building a small pig abattoir to slaughter 20 pigs a week,

I am trying to keep costs down and wanted to know - should I have 2 cold rooms - a freezer and a chiller or is one combined unit enough to start?

Can I get by with chest freezers at the start for processed  cuts?

How big should the cold room be - it should hold 20 carcasses but I want to expand to 50 pigs a week at some point? 

Can I store my curing hams and bacon in the same cold room as the carcasses if they are in sealed containers?

We are building this in Zambia so there are less regulations - but its also not a free for all, and we want to have a design that is flexible but also cost effective and meets basic standards.

Any ideas are welcome 

also plans or tips -

 

[mowin]

Don't hink the chest freezer will work unless you freeze the cuts in a walk in first.

If you stack too much meat in the chest freezer, the packages in the center will not freeze before they sour.

 

[daveomak]

What are all the processes you plan on performing.......

 

[pabeef]

These are my thoughts and questions 

How big are your hogs ? 

 if you are looking at 240 to 260 pound live hogs you will probably need 2 feet of track per hog to hang and let air flow around them to cool. I would hang a few and measure the width of them. 

How long will you let them hang ? if you hang them for a week you need to double your cooler space so you have room for the next weeks harvest (pc for slaughter) in the cooler while you process last weeks harvest  this is assuming you are only harvesting one day a week and processing the rest of the week.

I have seen where they put covered brine meats in the same cooler along the walls not sure of your regulations.

You will want to freeze the meat as fast as possible once packaged and not overload your freezer so you need enough space to spread out the meat or shallow enough wire racks on a cart  to do so.   20 hogs will fill up a lot of chest freezers.

also the size of your freezer will depend on how fast your product leaves the front door of the shop, if you are going to keep all of the fresh/uncured meat until the cured meats are done  and ready to go also how soon after you call the people to pick up the meat will they be there.  

Sorry for the long post but some thing to think about.

Good luck      PABEF

 

[pabeef]

These are my thoughts and questions 

How big are your hogs ? 

 if you are looking at 240 to 260 pound live hogs you will probably need 2 feet of track per hog to hang and let air flow around them to cool. I would hang a few and measure the width of them. 

How long will you let them hang ? if you hang them for a week you need to double your cooler space so you have room for the next weeks harvest (pc for slaughter) in the cooler while you process last weeks harvest  this is assuming you are only harvesting one day a week and processing the rest of the week.

I have seen where they put covered brine meats in the same cooler along the walls not sure of your regulations.

You will want to freeze the meat as fast as possible once packaged and not overload your freezer so you need enough space to spread out the meat or shallow enough wire racks on a cart  to do so.   20 hogs will fill up a lot of chest freezers.

also the size of your freezer will depend on how fast your product leaves the front door of the shop, if you are going to keep all of the fresh/uncured meat until the cured meats are done  and ready to go also how soon after you call the people to pick up the meat will they be there.  

Sorry for the long post but some thing to think about.

Good luck      PABEF