Page 186 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

2. Practise meat preservation using methods possible in your school/home.
3. Record all your tasks’ proceedings in your portfolio.

Exercise 8.1
Answer the following questions:
1. What is meant by the following terms?
(a) Abattoir
(b) Slaughter slab
(c) Slaughter house

2. Explain the functions of any six features found in an ideal abattoir.
3. Discuss any three methods of meat preservation by giving their merits and

demerits

Handling of poultry meat

Chicken raised for meat production are called broilers. It is a common practice to
rear commercial broilers for 5 - 8 weeks. However, layers are also slaughtered and
used for chicken table meat. This is usually after laying at the age of 72 weeks when

they are sold as culls. Local chickens are also slaughtered for meat in many parts
of the country. Most farmers sell their birds without slaughtering them. Big farmers
usually have a section for slaughtering and packaging. Slaughtering and packaging
adds value to the chicken and therefore improves profit margins.

Slaughtering the chicken

When the chickens are ready for slaughter, they must be removed from the rearing
unit and placed in a holding area at least 12 hours before being slaughtered. While
in the holding area, they must not be given any food. Drinking water should be
supplied and the chicken must not be stressed by over-congestion or by infrequent

movements. Slaughtering is done by cutting off the head either partially or fully
severed from the neck. It is a good practice to hold the chicken in a slaughtering
cone with the head hanging out from the narrow end of the cone (refer to Figure
8.7). The cone helps a chicken from struggling violently after slaughtering. The
person slaughtering the chicken grabs a head of the chicken while firmly pressing
his thumb at the point between a head and the neck. A sharp knife is used to separate
the head from the body. The chicken is left in the killing cone for at least 5 minutes
for thorough bleeding.

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