Page 201 - Agriculture_Form_Three

Agriculture for Secondary Schools

Hump

Mask
(jaws)

Behind
Lower hind limbs ears
In between
Lower the horns
fore limbs

Figure 8.15: Proper parts for hot-iron branding on cattle

Hides and skins handling after slaughter: Immediately after slaughter, the process
of removing hides or skins, that is flaying, from the carcass is done. Like meat, hides

and skins can easily putrefy if they are not properly preserved shortly after they have
been removed from the animal’s body. It is recommended that hides and skins are
cured or preserved within 3 - 4 hours after slaughter. There are two basic methods
of hides and skins curing or preservation in East Africa. These are air drying and
salting.

For air dying, hides and skins are suspended on a frame which is either circular
(loop) or rectangular by using rope or strings (refer to Figure 8.16 (a)). The average
time to dry the hides or skins on a frame is about seven (7) days. For wet salt curing,
a hide/skin is spread on the floor or wooden pallet. Common salt of 30 - 40% weight
of the hide/skin is uniformly applied on flesh side of the hide/skin. The next hide/

skin is then placed on top and again salted on the flesh side. In this way, both sides of
the hide/skin are in contact with salt. Other hides/skins will follow a similar pattern
of treatment one after another by stalking them (refer Figure 8.16 (b)).

Student’s Book Form Three
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