Beef Harvest

Question 1

What does BSE stand for?

Answer 1

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy

Question 2

What is another term for BSE?

Answer 2

Mad Cow Disease

Question 3

What is BSE?

Answer 3

A neurological disorder that spreads via infected prions that damages the central nervous system

Question 4

What is the incubation period for BSE?

Answer 4

2-8 years

Question 5

How do cattle get BSE?

Answer 5

Ingesting infected feeds (meat and bone meal)

Question 6

How do humans get CJD?

Answer 6

Ingesting infected meat

Question 7

Symptoms of BSE?

Answer 7

Nervous or aggressive temperament and abnormal posture/balance/coordination

Question 8

Can we test for BSE?

Answer 8

No, not while the cattle is alive. It is only diagnosable through visual signs

Question 9

What is CJD?

Answer 9

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease aka human BSE

Question 10

How do we be careful not to pass on BSE?

Answer 10

Removing spinal chord, brain, distal ileum, and tonsils and destroying them.

Spinal column must be removed in cattle over 30 months

Question 11

Ante-Mortem inspection

Answer 11

12-24 hour feed restriction
USDA inspection checks physical health, body condition, body position, and behavior

Question 12

How much blood does Exsanguination remove?

Answer 12

~50% of the blood

Question 13

What vein and artery are cut?

Answer 13

Jugular vein and Carotid artery

Question 14

At what joint is the head removed?

Answer 14

Atlas joint (first vertebrae)

Question 15

What is the weasand?

Answer 15

Esophagus and surrounding muscle

Question 16

Why do we tie the weasand?

Answer 16

So that ingesta doesn’t come out through the esophagus when the head is being removed

Question 17

What organ stays connected to the carcass?

Answer 17

Kidneys