Page 228 - Agriculture_Form_3

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

and excess young stock not needed for breeding. Selection is based on body
condition, age, performance or health condition. Body condition refers to how
much fat and muscle an animal has. Animals that are too thin may not be suitable
for quality meat or fetch good prices. Age is considered because older animals
may be less productive or their meat may be tougher. Performance means how
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well the animal has grown, reproduced, or produced meat. Animals that grow
slowly or fail to produce healthy calves may be removed (culled). Sick or injured
animals may be harvested early to avoid loss or spread of disease.
Harvesting is done through selling live animals or slaughtering. Selling live
animals is common in Tanzania, especially in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas.
These animals are sold in livestock markets. Slaughter may take place at the
farm level or in formal slaughter facilities. Farm slaughter is only allowed where
proper tools, hygiene, and inspection services are available. Formal slaughter
facilities include slaughter slabs, slaughterhouses and abattoirs. These facilities
are regulated to make sure the meat is safe and the animals are handled properly
during slaughter and processing.

Slaughter slab: This is a simple concrete platform used for slaughtering a small
number of animals (Figure10.11). It may have a roof and basic drainage system,
poles for hanging carcasses and a water source for cleaning. It is common in rural
areas and small towns.

Figure 10.11: Example of slaughter slab
Source: https://imgalse.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/dsc04722.jpg?w=298&h=224

Slaughterhouse: This is a more advanced structure used for slaughtering animals.
It includes separate areas for each step, such as stunning, bleeding, skinning,
and meat inspection. A slaughterhouse often has a roof and walls to keep the
place clean and safe. It supports better hygiene and helps to process meat more
efficiently. Figure 10.12 shows the basic steps followed in a slaughterhouse.

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