ANSCI 4205 (Slaughtering of Animals and Processing of their Products)

Prepared by: ALONA T. BADUA

E-mail Address: alona.badua@clsu2.edu.ph

Central Luzon State University

Science City of Muñoz 3120
Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Instructional Module for the Course

ANSCI 4205 SLAUGHTERING OF ANIMALS AND PROCESSING OF THEIR
PRODUCTS

Module 6
Slaughtering Procedure
Overview
This module will discuss first the different restraint facilities used
for animals before slaughter. The steps for slaughtering pigs, cattle
and goat/sheep will be explained. After slaughtering, the average
dressing percentage of slaughtered poultry and livestock will be
presented. In addition, there are unconventional methods for
slaughtering animals which are included in the module, this is to
differentiate this from the accepted conventional method. Two
religious type of slaughter is discussed, the halal (Muslim)and shechita
(Jewish) ways of slaughter.

I. Objectives
After finishing this module the student will be able to:
1. Describe the different restraint facilities for poultry and livestock
2. Discuss the steps for slaughtering pig, cattle and goats/sheep
3. Determine the average dressing percentage of slaughtered poultry and livestock
4. Identify the unique features used for unconventional and religious methods for
slaughter

II. Learning Activities

Introduction

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 ANSCI 4205 (Slaughtering of Animals and Processing of their Products)

At the time of slaughter, animals should be healthy and physiologically normal.

Slaughter animals should be adequately rested. They should be rested, preferably
overnight, particularly if they have travelled for some times over long distances.
However, pigs and poultry are usually slaughtered on arrival as time and distances
travelled are relatively short and holding in pens is stressful for them. Animals should be
watered during holding and can be fed, if required. The holding period allows for
injured and victimized animals to be identified and for sick animals to be quarantined.
The length of time animals spend in the lairage awaiting slaughter varies according to
the abattoir’s work practices and throughput, but should not exceed 72 hours if in a
covered part of the slaughterhouse. In practice, the average time will usually be only a
few hours.
When ready for slaughter, animals should be driven to the stunning area in a
quiet and orderly manner without undue fuss and noise. Droving can be facilitated
using flat canvass straps, rolled plastic or paper, and in the case of stubborn animals,
prodders can be used occasionally. Animals should never be beaten nor have their tails
twisted. Animals should be led in single file into the stunning area where they can be
held in appropriate restraining device(s) before stunning.

Animal Restraint Facilities

Animals have to be transferred from the lairage pens either directly or through a
race into an area where stunning and slaughter are carried out. Animals are often
transferred from the lairage through a race to the stunning area. In order to facilitate
stunning and to protect the operators, some kind of restraint is necessary. Restraint
should allow correct application of stunning equipment and protect animal welfare, as
well as protecting operators from potential injury, especially from large animals. This
may be achieved in a number of ways:

a. Manual restraint in an open pen

This is usually done by manually handling the free standing animal in an open
area or a pen. The animal may enter the pen either directly from holding areas or
through raceways.

b. Restraint in a squeeze/crush pen

This method involves holding the animal by pressure from the sides. Usually one
side moves. It is not commonly used.

c. Cattle stunning pens

The objective is to confine the animal in a pen so that stunning and slaughter
can be carried out effectively and safely. Pens must have gates to close after entry. For
captive bolt stunning, facilities to present the head for correct stunning at the front
areuseful.

d. V-type restrainers
V-type restrainers use the principle of suspending the animals in a funnel-shaped

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apparatus, which often has a conveyor system and is commonly used for pigs and
sheep. It seems to work better for sheep than pigs. Sheep can be electrically stunned,
either head only or head-to-back at the end of the conveyor, either manually or
automatically.

e. Monorail restrainers
This system holds the animal in a straddle position over a rail. When combined
with a conveyor system, animals are moved to the point of stunning with possibly less
stress than with V-restraint. This system is successfully used for pigs,

f. Shackling in poultry chickens

Chickens are shackled by their legs onto a conveyor line. This must be done
gently to avoid injury and stress. In a small slaughterhouse, birds can be placed
headfirst in cones.

STEPS IN SLAUGHTERING
Steps in slaughtering swine:
1) Stunning
It is done to make the animal unconscious without killing it and to make
restraining easy and sticking humane.
Methods of stunning:
a. electric shock stunning - consists in applying electricity through the
animal’s brain, using two electrodes to induce an epileptic shock, or
through the heart.
b. captive-bolt or pneumatic pistol - applied to the forehead; captive-bolt
pistols eject a metallic cylinder through the animal’s skull and return to
their original position for the next shot. Alternatively, pneumatic pistols
impact the animal’s head without penetration.
c. carbon dioxide - stunning action of carbon dioxide is accomplished by
blockade of the animal’s neural terminals, therefore reducing the
nervous impulses. Carbon dioxide concentrations of 65% to 70% during
45 seconds work most efficiently.

2) Sticking
It is a term for bleeding. The knife is held at a 35 to 40 degree angle and thrust
under the breastbone. A thrust and a withdrawal are made to cut the jugular veins and
carotid arteries.

3) Scalding and scraping

The temperature of the scalding water is very important for successful scraping
procedure. The water must be maintained at 54 to 82ºC (130 to 180ºC) but
temperature between 60 to 71ºC is optimal.

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The temperature of the water maybe approximated by quickly immersing the

fingers three consecutive times, if the fourth immersion is not possible, then the water
temperature is within the range.
In scraping, the extremities of the animal such as the head, tail and shanks are
scalded and scraped first.

4) Removal of the head

The head is cut off about two to three fingers from the base of the ears. The
bone connection is severed at the atlas joint by applying a sudden jerking twist at the
head.

5) Evisceration
It refers to the removal of the visceral organs from the opening of the carcass up
to the complete removal of the internal organs from the body cavity.

6) Splitting
It is done at the center of the chine bone to be able to produce uniform pork
chops from the carcass

7) Chilling
The carcass is chilled at 0 to 4ºC for 24 hours. Temperature of 2ºC is very ideal
so that firmness and condition of the carcass is ideal for fabrication.

b. Slaughtering Cattle and Carabao

Slaughtering cattle and carabao is similar to slaughtering hogs in some aspects.

Steps in slaughtering cattle and carabao

1) Stunning
Some of the stunning equipment that can be used includes matador, stunning
gun, carbon dioxide chamber, sledgehammer etc. The animal is hit immediately after
the head bones or right at the center of the atlas joint. With one blow at this site, the
carabao or cattle loses consciousness and falls down.

2) Sticking
The animal must not be down for more than two minutes because increased
blood pressure may break the capillaries and cause an unattractive condition in the
meat.
A portion of the hide at the upper neck when the animal is laying flat on one side
is skinned out to act as receptacle for blood. The knife is inserted at 45º angle in front
of the brisket and the carotid arteries and jugular vein are severed in a similar manner
as in the hogs. The blood is scooped out with a cup from the flapped hide receptacle.
To induce thorough bleeding, an operator may step at the flank of the animal
rhythmically.

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3) Flaying and skinning

This refers to the removal of the hide.

4) Removal of the shank and head

To remove the head, a cut is made around the neck at the atlas region and the
head is twisted off. The shanks maybe removed at the flat joint between the tarsal and
metatarsal bones at the hind shank and between the carpal and the metacarpal bones
of the front legs.

5) Evisceration

6) Splitting/Quartering
This is the process of dividing the carcass into two along the vertebral column.
As much as possible, the left and the right sides must have the same weight. After
splitting, the carcass is quartered by cutting each side between the 12th and 13th ribs.

7) Shrouding
This is the process of wrapping the carcass with cheesecloth. The cloth is soaked
in lukewarm water (about 45ºC) and wrapped around the carcass while it is warm. The
shrouding cloth absorbs remaining blood at the surface of the carcass, smoothens the
external fat covering, causes the fat to appear white and dense and prevents excessive
shrinkage and oxidation.

8) Chilling
The required chilling period is 48 hours but maybe extended from 7 to 14 days
for aging purposes. Chilling is done to check the growth of microorganisms, make the
carcass firm prior to fabrication and allow the rigor mortis to pass (stiffening of the
muscle).
Careful control of the slaughter operation is essential for the production of good
quality meat products. Carcass should be thoroughly washed to remove all blood and
dirt on the surface of the meat. Only clean and undamaged carcasses should be used
for processing.

c. Slaughtering of Sheep and Goat

There are two methods of slaughtering goat and sheep in the Philippines. One is
the singed method and the other is the flayed method. Like any slaughter animals, goat
and sheep must be allowed to relax prior to slaughter. Most slaughterhouses in the
country do not have holding facilities for goat and sheep, so the animals are just tied to
a post.

Steps for slaughtering goat and sheep

1) Stunning
This procedure can easily be accomplished with the use of ordinary carpenter’s
hammer. A properly stunned goat lay flat on its side almost motionless.

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2) Sticking
The animal is held in position with the knee on or behind the shoulder. Then the
lower jaw is grasped with the hand and the head is pulled back. With the back
positioned towards the cervical bones, the knife is inserted at the back of the jaw as
close as possible to the backbones. At this position, the outward portion of the neck is
cut clear and through severing the blood vessels, the windpipe, gullet and fleece.

3) Singeing or Flaying
In this method a blowtorch or an open fire can be used. While singeing, the hairs
are continuously scraped with a dull knife or with a piece of stick.
With flaying, the hind legs are tied with a rope and the carcass is suspended in a
convenient hanger or branch. Knife is used to start the flaying process. It starts with
the hindlegs followed by the forelegs. The head of the animal is removed at the atlas
joint and the pelt is stripped by forcing it downwards.

4) Evisceration and chilling

The carcass is not split and the breastbone is not opened. Chilling is done for 24
hours at 0 to 4ºC before fabrication.

Average dressing percentages of slaughtered livestock animals

1) cattle/carabao – 60%
2) calves – 62%
3) hogs – 73%
4) sheep/goat – 50%
5) chicken – 75%
6) turkey – 83%
7) duck – 70%
8) geese – 75%

Unconventional local/traditional slaughter methods

In some countries unconventional, local slaughter techniques exist. Some of these need
consideration:
• immersion of pigs in a basket in water to drown and kill;
• unilateral sticking of pigs in standing position or slaughter on the floor without
stunning;
• punctilla of cattle, which involves severance of the spinal cord in the neck without
stunning.
The above practices severely compromise animal welfare and must be avoided.

RELIGIOUS SLAUGHTER
1. Jewish method of slaughter (shechita)
Jews consume beef, lamb and poultry, but not pork. These meats must be
slaughtered and prepared in accordance with the rabbinical laws. Slaughter is carried
out by an approved slaughterman of the Jewish faith, called a shocet. The slaughter

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process, which precludes any type of stunning, is preceded by positioning the animal,
though this is not subject to regulation by the religious authorities.
A single, transverse cut severing all tissues and blood vessels is made across the
neck using a very sharp, special knife (chalaf). If any abnormality is found, the entire
carcass is rejected for Jewish consumption on the grounds that the animal was not
healthy at the time of slaughter. In some practices the meat is “porged” to remove
veins and other forbidden tissues. Special consideration must be given to minimizing
welfare problems during shechita.
Preslaughter handling must have the same criteria used before application of
stunning methods. It would be advisable to use a restraint apparatus, preferably an
upright stunning pen or one that incorporates a monorail conveyor for Jewish slaughter.
If necessary, a V-type restraint pen or a Facomia pen that slightly tilts the animal
(around 45º) can also be used.
Restraint of animals must be quick, of short duration, and slaughter carried out
immediately without delay. Exsanguination must be carried out rapidly and all blood
vessels in the neck cut. The neck needs to be in an extended position during the cut.
Ballooning on the cut surfaces of the carotid arteries must be avoided.
Exsanguinated blood must flow rapidly and copiously so that brain death is quick.
At least 20 seconds must be allowed for exsanguination before any other procedures.

2. Muslim method of slaughter (halal slaughter)

This method is now commonly referred to as halal slaughter. As for Jews, pig
meat is forbidden. The act of slaughter (Al-Dhabh) is allowed in the name of God;
therefore pronouncing the name of Allah is the usual practice. Animals are restrained
but there are no specific religious regulations as to how this should be done.
Following restraint, slaughter is achieved by severing both carotid arteries and
jugular veins using a sharp knife. The usual type of incision is severance of the vessels
in the retrograde fashion following an initial stab incision in the neck.
The most significant variation in halal slaughter is that preslaughter stunning
may be an acceptable practice. It is now more common to see stunning being used for
halal slaughter in western countries.

III. References
FAO. 2004. Good Practices for the Meat Industry. FAO Farm Production and Health
Manual.
FAO. 2004. Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of livestock.
Ibarra, P.I. 1983. Meat Processing for Small and Medium Scale Operation. University of
the Philippines, Los Banos, Laguna