CHAPTER XX
HOG SLAUGHTERING
Historical — Investment — Hog Yarding — Hog Dressing — Hoisting — Sticking — Neck Washing — Scalding — Scraping Machines — Hand Scraping — Cleaning Bodies — Ham Facing and Cutting — Leaf Lard — Splitting — Washing — Drying — Care in Chill Rooms — Open Air Hanging — Chilling Necessities — Shrinkage in Chill Rooms — Hog By-Products — Heads — Plucks — Paunches — Entrail Fat.
Historical.
—In no department of the industry has the progress been so extensive as in pork packing. Only a few years ago, comparatively, it was impossible to kill hogs for packing purposes, except during the winter season, and the various packing plants located throughout the country worked during the winter months in their crude way, packing as many hogs as conditions would permit, turning out the cured meat in the spring, in inferior condition.
Under the conditions then existing there was little of the hog sold fresh, for being killed as they were, in isolated places, there was little opportunity to make it available for general consumption, consequently fresh pork was sold only in the immediate vicinity of the slaughtering place and it was necessary to cure the balance. Under present methods, fresh pork product is shipped to England and delivered in good condition to the consumer.
The important step in the evolution of “all-the-year packing” from “winter packing” was the introduction of the refrigerating machine, and in packing houses today little or no regard is paid to the outside temperature. Another great advantage is the transportation facilities now available. When killing hogs in large quantities the fresh pork product is sold fresh and consumed as such, and a much greater revenue is derived than when salted as formerly, and sold as cured meats. With the present facilities for distribution the public can buy fresh pork at any time of the year, while a few years ago it was impossible to obtain it at any price during warmer seasons, unless in the immediate neighborhood of the place where the animals were slaughtered.
FIG. 97.—UNLOADING HOGS FROM CAR.
Investment.
—The investment capital used in pork packing is much greater than for beef, for in slaughtering cattle there is comparatively little left that requires storage, but in slaughtering hogs fully seventy per cent of the carcass goes into the curing department, to stay from thirty to ninety days; consequently a much larger and more expensive set of buildings is required than for slaughtering cattle. For instance, in the matter of chill room it is customary to require cooler space for twice or three times the killing capacity and storage area equal to five times the hog hanging area; in other words, if a plant was to be built to kill a thousand hogs a day there should be hanging capacity for 2,500 and five times the floor area should be sufficient for curing the product, providing it is sold promptly as cured. If it is to be carried for any length of time a greater ratio than five to one should be used. This, of course, does not refer to any of the auxiliary departments of the plant but only to the cold storage and chill room department.