PREPARING FOR SLAUGHTER

Prior to the day of slaughter, select the slaughter site, accumulate all equipment, prepare for waste disposal, and, if necessary, make arrangements with a local processor or meat market for chilling and cutting the carcass. If you plan to have the carcass chilled and cut up, arrangements should be made concerning the time and day on which the carcass can be accepted, the charges, and specific instructions for chilling, cutting, and wrapping the carcass.

Site Selection

Selection of the slaughter site is extremely important. A site with clean, running water is best. If a tree is to be used, a healthy limb 6 to 8 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 feet from the ground is needed. This will ensure that the limb will not break from the weight of the carcass and the carcass can be fully extended from the ground for viscera removal and splitting. If slaughter is to be done in a barn, be sure that a strong beam 12 to 15 feet from the floor is available. The floor should be clean and, preferably, concrete.

After selection of the slaughter site, clean up the area to ensure that leaves and dirt are not blown on the carcass during slaughter. If the site has a wooden or concrete floor, wash the floor and all equipment with plenty of soap and water. Be sure to rinse thoroughly because sanitizers discolor the meat and may cause off-flavors. If slaughtering is to be done outdoors use straw to cover the area where the carcass will be skinned and eviscerated.

The weather on the day of slaughter should also be considered. During hot weather, slaughter is best performed during the early morning or late evening hours. Since an inexperienced person will take 2 to 3 hours to complete the slaughter operation, care should be taken to preclude long exposure to high temperatures. During cold weather of less than 35°F, slaughter can be done at any time, since spoilage bacteria do not grow as rapidly in a cold environment. Slaughter during high winds will result in dirt and other contaminants being blown onto the carcass.

Waste Disposal

All waste products should be disposed of in a sanitary manner. If the work is to be done in the open, one should select a site with good drainage so that blood and water can drain away from the carcass. Blood and water must not be allowed to pollute nearby streams or other water supplies.

Disposal of viscera is often a problem. Arrangements should be made to have a local processor or rendering plant pick it up. If this is not possible, it should be buried so that dogs and other animals cannot dig it up.

The hide is a very important byproduct of cattle and represents about 7 percent of the live weight. After removal, spread it out in a cool place with the hair side down and give it a good application of ice cream or sack salt. About 1 pound of salt is required per pound of hide. The hide may be tanned or sold.

Slaughter Equipment

Elaborate and expensive equipment is not necessary, but certain items are essential ([fig. 1]). The following slaughter equipment is recommended:

PN-4547

Figure 1.—Equipment for slaughter.

  1. .22-caliber rifle with long cartridges or long rifle cartridges.
  2. Sharp skinning knife and steel (see the section on sharpening knives).
  3. Block and tackle or chain hoist—should have at least a ¾ or 1-inch nylon rope or chain.
  4. Chocks—concrete blocks work well.
  5. Meat saw.
  6. Oil or water stone.
  7. Ample cold water for washing hands, equipment, carcass, and byproducts.
  8. Tree with strong limb, beam, or tripod 12 to 15 feet high, or tractor with hydraulic lift.
  9. Beef spreader or single-tree (for 400 to 600-pound animal, 36 inches long; for heavy cattle, 40 inches long).
  10. Buckets (two or three).
  11. Ice or cold water.
  12. Straw for placing under animal during skinning and evisceration.
  13. Clean cloths or plastic for protection of meat during transport.
  14. Clean string.

Be sure that all equipment that will come in contact with meat is thoroughly cleaned. Most people get blood and other material on their outer garments during slaughter, which should not be transferred to the carcass after it is washed.

Additional equipment needed for cutting the carcass is discussed in the section on carcass cutting.

The Correct Procedure for Sharpening Knives

The basic operations involved in sharpening a knife are grinding, honing, and steeling. Maintenance of a sharp working edge often requires only steeling. If the knife is in heavy use, periodic honing is usually required daily or at least weekly.

Figure 2.—The correct procedure for sharpening knives.[a]8]

1. Grinding ([fig. 2]) is necessary because new knives are not usually sold in a form sharp enough for immediate use. The stone should be water, or oil-cooled to avoid overheating the knife. The blade should not be ground back more than ¼ inch from the edge to form the proper bevel. The bevel should be the same on both sides of a skinning knife so that it may be used with either hand in removing the hide from a beef carcass. It is best to grind the knife by holding the knife edge against the stone at a right angle to prevent scarring the blade any farther back than the actual bevel.

2. Honing ([fig. 2]) is accomplished on a carborundum stone. Stones should be set in a block of wood or placed on a damp cloth to prevent lateral sliding. Hold the handle of the knife in the right hand with the blade edge pointed away from your body. Assume a position parallel to the side of the stone and place the heel of the knife blade on the end of the stone to your extreme left. Tilt the blade of the knife enough to make the bevel lie flat with the stone. Place the finger tips of the left hand on the flat of the blade toward the tip and near the back edge to exert pressure on the blade. It is very important for safety that the fingers of the left hand push downward only to maintain an even pressure on the knife blade over the stone. If the left hand pushes laterally with the sharpening stroke, and the knife catches on an irregularity, then the fingers will slip off the edge and can be cut severely by the freed knife blade. With a sweeping motion toward the right of the stone, draw the knife completely across the stone, against the cutting edge of the blade. The correct motion is achieved when that portion of the blade nearest the handle begins the stroke and the extreme tip of the blade ends the stroke. The procedure is reversed to hone the opposite side of the blade.

3. Steeling ([fig. 2]) is accomplished by using various kinds of steels that are adapted to specific uses. The carborundum and ribbed steels are for kitchen use where knives need not be razor-sharp and the steel is actually honing the knife. The mirror-smooth steel for razor-sharp edges is the one best suited for slaughter and meat cutting. The steel should be held firmly in the left hand in a position almost diagonal to the body but with a slightly upward tilt. This permits the free movement of the knife across the steel without drawing it too close to the supporting hand. Place the heel of the blade against the near side of the tip at a 20° to 25° angle and bring the blade down along the steel toward the left hand with a quick, swinging motion of the right wrist and forearm. The entire blade should pass lightly over the steel. Return the knife to a position on the opposite side of the steel and repeat the same motion.

To test the knife for sharpness and smoothness of edge, run the edge of the blade lightly over the flat of the thumbnail. If the knife slides easily, it lacks the proper sharpness. A sharp edge will dig into the nail and a rough or wire edge will rasp the nail.

[a]8] Adapted from Smith, G. C., Carpenter, Z. L., and King, G. T. 1974. Laboratory Exercises in Elementary Meat Science. Kemp Publishing Co., Houston, Tex.