Does anyone here work in or know anyone who works in..........

[WillowTheWhisp]

.......an abbatoire?

Today I was talking to someone about how animals are slaughtered and she said that all abbatoirs in this country just stun the animal and then slit their throats and let them bleed to death.

I thought that was only the halal and kosher ways of slaughtering.

Does anyone have any first hand experience?

[panther]

My fella used to work in a a slaughter house, he says they stun the animal, and slit it!

cows get a bolt through the head, so i presume they die quick!, the reason why they stun em and then cut em is so the heart is still pumping so the blood drains quicker.
Halal way, they just do some sort of prayer then slit the throat, i dont think they even stun em!
did ya not watch kill it, cook it, eat it, willow?

[Margaret Pilkington]

Willow, my Daughter used to work in a meat processing company that had an abbattoir attached...she was originally enlisted to supervise the kills, but took on the Quality control instead.
I am almost sure that she said the animals were killed by bolts(after they had been stunned)....and that it was vital for the animals to be kept calm before they were killed...otherwise the meat would be tough.
I know that all the kills are supervised by a vet.

[emamum]

my wendymum used to work at one.....she said they stun and skin the cows while they are still alive cos it makes better leather..... she told me horrible things and i turned vegetarian for years!!

[panther]

Cows are received by truck or rail from a ranch, farm, or feedlot.
Cows are herded into holding pens.
Cows receive a preslaughter inspection.
Cows are usually knocked unconscious by applying an electric shock of 300 volts and 2 amps to the back of the head, effectively stunning the animal. If unsuccessful, secondary methods include the use of a captive bolt pistol to the front of the cow's head. Livestock are also rendered unconscious by pneumatic or cartridge-fired captive bolt stunning and CO2/inert gas stunning. (This step is prohibited under strict application of Halal and Kashrut codes.)
Animals are hung upside down by one of their hind legs on the processing line.
The main arteries and veins are severed with a knife, mainly in the neck, and the cow's blood drains, causing death through exsanguination.
The hide/skin/plumage is removed by down pullers, side pullers and fisting off the pelt (sheep and goats)
The internal organs are removed and inspected for internal parasites and signs of disease. The guts, referred to as viscera, are separated for inspection from the heart and lungs, referred to as the "pluck." Livers are separated for inspection, tongues are dropped or removed from the head, and the head is sent down the line on the head hooks or head racks for inspection.
The carcass is inspected by a government inspector for safety.
Carcasses are subjected to intervention to reduce levels of bacteria. Common interventions are steam, hot water, and organic acids. Carcasses are chilled to prevent the growth of microorganisms and to reduce meat deterioration while the meat awaits distribution.
The chilled carcass is broken down into subprimals and primals for boxed meat unless customer specifies for swinging sides of meat. Beef and horse carcasses are always split in half and then quartered, pork is split into sides only and goat/veal/mutton and lamb is left whole
The remaining carcass may be further processed to extract any residual traces of meat, usually termed mechanically recovered meat, which may be used for human or animal consumption.
Waste materials such as lard or tallow, are sent to a rendering plant.
The waste water, consisting of blood and fecal matter, generated by the slaughtering process is sent to a waste water treatment plant.
The meat is transported to distribution centers that then distribute to retail markets.

this is what i found on the web, but not 100% sure whether its british law, but its close enough

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes Panther, it was mainly cows where my daughter worked...they did do pigs and sheep and you are right they are stunned and then bled.

[emamum]

yep panther..............thats what did it lol

[emamum]

and its someones job to remove cow foetus' as well.............

[Eric]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

.......an abbatoire?

Today I was talking to someone about how animals are slaughtered and she said that all abbatoirs in this country just stun the animal and then slit their throats and let them bleed to death.

I thought that was only the halal and kosher ways of slaughtering.

Does anyone have any first hand experience?

Surprisingly enough, I do. I don't know the "science" behind it, but in order for the meat to taste "right" the animal has to be bled immediately after slaughter, preferably if the heart is still beating so that the blood is pumped out ... in some cases the blood is kept in order to make bloudin (blood pudding, or as you know it, black pudding). When hunting deer or moose for example, the animal must be field dressed ... this involves a convenient tree on which to hand the animal ... head to the ground ... then the throat is cut, and next the guts are dropped out. I sometimes helped a freind of mine in Saskatchewan butcher his beef ... you imagine a line from the left ear to the right eye, and from the right ear to the left eye, and at where the two intersect you fire a .22 short shell, which will stun the animal ... then you attach chains to the hind legs, hook it up to a front end loader, lift it, and slit the throat ... simple, the way things are done in the country .... with wild meat, deer is the best example, it is best to shoot the animal when it is standing ... if the animal is started, and it runs, the pounding of the heart pumps the blood into the muscle, and this spoils the meat ...

[panther]

I thought they only used bulls! emamum

[katex]

What a pleasant thread this is, just before me tea ...

[Eric]

hope that wasn't too much info ....

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by katex

What a pleasant thread this is, just before me tea ...

Hope you aren't having balck pudding for tea Kate.

[pipinfort]

What a great thread..reminds me why i have been Vegetarian for 19 years.....!

[Eric]

Originally Posted by panther

I thought they only used bulls! emamum

Very rarely do they use bulls .... steers or spayed heifers are the usual victims .... most male animals are castrated just after birth, or at 8 months or so, this latter requires skill and daring because a 600 lb animal does not enjoy having it's nuts sliced off ... bulls, when they are no longer useful for breeding, are slaughtered, but the meat is poor quality, and usually ends up as bologna, which is why they are sometimes referred to as "bologna bulls." .... hamburgers anyone .... got some bambi burgers in my freezer if anyone is interested