Page 179 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Abattoir
This is a complex slaughter house where all slaughtering and carcass dressing
activities are done in an enclosed area. Abattoirs can handle a large number of
animals and many operations are automated. An abattoir has the following facilities/
structures:
(i) Entry race: This is a corridor where the animal is driven to enter into the stunning
box.
(ii) Stunning box: This is a facility in which the animal is made unconscious by
electric shock to minimise the pain of slaughter.
(iii) Slaughter platform: An area attached to the stunning box onto which an
unconscious animal falls on ready for the throat to be severed.
(iv) Bleeding rail: A section where the carcass is held to allow for bleeding.
(v) Skinning cradle: A section on which the opening cuts are made ready for skin
removal.
(vi) Dressing rails/hoist: It is where the carcass is lifted off the ground for flaying
process (removal of the skin) to be completed.
(vii) Cold room: A room for chilling the carcass for storage while waiting for other
processes.

Slaughter procedures for ruminant animals
Preparations for slaughter begin long before the animal enters the slaughter facility.
These preparations are important because they have a direct effect on the quality of
meat that shall be obtained. The following are the basic procedures for slaughtering
a farm animal:
Stage 1: At livestock auction, animals that are bought and selected for immediate
slaughter are marked for transportation to the slaughter facility. Attention must be
taken to avoid stressing the animals or inflicting too much pain on them. Animals
that are stressed during transit produce meat of poor quality.

Stage 2: Upon arrival at the slaughter facilities, animals are held in a collection
yard for at least 8 hours. This is important to calm down the animals after long and
stressful movements. While in this yard, a veterinarian conducts ‘ante-mortem’, a
process of examining the animal for its suitability for slaughter and for avoiding
spread of diseases to consumers. Animals observed to be in bad condition and with
obvious signs of sickness are not allowed to go for slaughter. Pregnant animals are
also not allowed to be slaughtered. Those animals that are judged as suitable for
slaughter will then be given plenty of clean water for drinking. No feed material is
provided in order to minimise the GIT contents during slaughter.
Stage 3: Animals coming in for slaughter go through a narrow corridor, also called a

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AGRICULTURE FORM 3 9.11.2022.indd 168 10/01/2025 12:31