Carcass dressing Flashcards
Whats the sequence of events for beef slaughter/ processing? (start with AM inspection)
AM inspection- stunning= shackling- bleeding- head removal- hide removal- evisceration- splitting-spinal cord- trimming- marking- washing- chilling- quartering- deboning
What are the aims of stunning?
- Humane killing
- Obtain max amount of blood from animal to increase keeping quality
- Health and safety
What does a certificate of competence cover?
- Handling animals
- Stunning animals
- Pithing
- Restraining
- Shackling
- Hoisting
- Bleeding live animals
- Checking successful stun
- Check pithing worked
What are the slaughter methods?
1) Gas
2) Captive bolt
3) Electronarcosis
Which animals would you use a non pen captive bolt on?
-Simple stunning on cattle, sheep, goats and deer under 10kg
What are the physiological affects of stunning?
- Brain impact causing physical damage
- Damage to nerves/ blood vessels
- Massive rise/ fall in pressure
- Disruption of normal electrical activity
- Duration depends on severity of damage
What are the signs of an effective stun?
- Collapse
- No rhythmic breathing
- Fixed glazed expression
- No corneal reflex
- Relaxed jaw
- Tongue hanging out
What are the different phases of an effective stun?
Tonic phase: 10-20 seconds - animal collapses -stops breathing -rigid -head extended/ hing legs flexed - forelegs straighten out gradually Clonic phase: involuntary kicking Relaxation: walking/ paddling movements
When do you normally shackle an animal?
After the clonic phase of stunning due to H&S of involuntary kicking
Does an OV have to supervise scaptive bolt stunning?
Yes
-need formally trained staff and OV supervision
What are the different systems for electric stunning?
- Low voltage system: 7 secs
- High voltage: 3 secs
- Head only (reversible)
- Head to body: (cardiac arrest- irreversible)
What is the minimum current used for cattle? (head only)
+6months= 1.28Amps
young=1.25
What is the minimum current for sheep/ goats? (head only)
1A
What is the minimum current for pigs? (head only)
1.3A
What are the phases of an epileptiform fit?
- Unconscious/ insensible to pain
- Tonic: rigid, rbeathing stops, head raised, hind legs flexed
- Clonic: gradual relaxation, waling/ paddling, downward rotations of eyes, urination
- *NO TONIC PHASE= NO STUN
How long do the different phases of an epileptiform fit last in different species?
-Pigs/ goats/ sheep:
tonic= 10-20 secs, clonic= 15-45 secs, recovery= 30-60 secs
-Cattle: tonic= 5-20secs, clonic= 10-60, recovery= 45-90
-Calves: tonic=8-14, clonic= 8-28, recovery= 40-70