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Agriculture for Secondary Schools

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Figure 10.12: Basic steps followed in a slaughterhouse

As shown in Figure 10.12, animals enter the slaughterhouse through an offloading
ramp and are first received and checked. Unhealthy animals are taken to isolation
place. Healthy animals are rested before slaughter to reduce stress. After resting,
they are stunned, slaughtered, and hung to allow full bleeding. The skin is then
removed, and the carcass is cleaned. A meat inspector checks the carcass to ensure
it is safe. After inspection, the meat is cooled in a cold room and then sent to the
market. Useful parts such as hides, offal, blood, and internal organs are collected
as by-products. Waste is properly handled to keep the area clean and safe.

Abattoir: This is the most complex facility. It is fully enclosed and may use
machines for most processes. It includes an entry race, stunning box, slaughter
platform, bleeding rail, skinning cradle, hoisting rails, and cold rooms. This setup
ensures proper hygiene, meat safety and fast operations.

Slaughter procedures for beef cattle
The slaughter of beef cattle must follow proper steps to ensure safety, hygiene,
and good-quality meat. The main steps are:

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