Bleeding is a very important part of the slaughtering operation and should be done not more than 2 minutes after the animal is down because the increased blood pressure may break the capillaries and cause an unattractive condition in the meat called “blood splash.”
The easiest and safest method for quick bleeding is to bleed the animal while it is still on the ground. Standing behind the animal, grasp the lower jaw ([fig. 5]), pull the head back slightly, and cut across the throat from ear to ear as deeply as possible ([fig. 6]). If the blood does not flow freely, cut deeper. A sharp skinning or boning knife is appropriate for this part of the operation.
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Figure 5.—Sticking. Stand behind the animal and grasp the lower jaw.
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Figure 6.—Cutting throat.