Cattle slaughter: top 14 ways and technology for cutting carcasses at home

Slaughtering cattle requires knowledge of anatomy and practical experience. At meat processing plants, the process is divided into stages and takes place in accordance with sanitary standards. In private farms, bulls are slaughtered in the same way as in production: they are stunned, drained of blood, skinned and butchered. In cattle breeding, complex old and simple modern methods are known.

Which cattle to be slaughtered

He althy cows and bulls are subject to cutting for meat. Even with the observance of sanitary standards on the farm, an examination and a conclusion from a veterinarian are required. If a bull or cow shows symptoms of an incurable disease that is dangerous for the entire livestock, they are also subject to slaughter.But the carcasses do not go for processing, but are burned in cattle burial grounds.

Dangerous diseases of cows include foot-and-mouth disease, rabies, tetanus, anthrax. After killing the bulls, an examination of the internal organs is carried out, since some parasitic infections occur without external symptoms. Sometimes at opening the liver is enlarged and mottled with passages of parasites. In this case, the carcass of the cow is also supposed to be destroyed.

Slaughter of he althy bulls and cows may be delayed for reasons:

vaccination;
administration of antibiotics;
treating parasites and non-dangerous diseases.

From the day of vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease to slaughter, they wait 21 days, and from anthrax - 14 days. The killing of a calving cow is delayed for two weeks so that she can nurse a newborn calf.

Optimal timing

Bulls actively gain weight up to ten months from birth. During this period, the natural growth of the body takes place, and the properties of meat breeds for the formation of muscle mass are manifested. Fattening cows contributes to achieving maximum results. After a year of life, with the end of physiological development, the weight gain of bulls slows down significantly and occurs only due to fattening. Animals have a stretched stomach, they eat a lot, but gain little weight. Therefore, farmers do not consider it rational to continue fattening and keeping cows.

Animals are usually slaughtered in autumn. Coolness is maintained in the premises of meat processing plants. To slaughter a domestic bull, choose a cool morning.

Preparation for the process

Cows are slaughtered at the factory after a veterinary examination of the animals and a preparatory period.

Vet Permit

The slaughterhouse has a full-time veterinarian who conducts an external examination and measures the temperature of animals. If signs of curable diseases are found, cows are treated, and then re-examined. If the bull is he althy, the doctor issues written permission and he is prepared for the next stage.

Cow preparation

A he althy animal is transferred to a separate stall. During the day, the cow is given a lot of water, but not fed. Fasting cleans the intestines of the bull, and during the procedure the skin is not dirty and the room is kept clean. Animals are not kept on a starvation diet for more than a day, as the body begins to use the accumulated fat, and the slaughter yield of meat decreases.

Preparing cows for slaughter also includes:

cleaning wool, hooves;
measuring and calculating animal volumes;
weighing.

Bulls are washed so as not to infect the meat with germs when butchering the carcass. It is also important to keep the animals calm. Fear reduces the amount of lactic acid in meat. As a result, its color deteriorates and its shelf life is reduced.

Bulls cannot be beaten, as blood from hematomas remains in the soft tissues during bleeding. Areas of hemorrhages are cut out, losing some of the valuable meat.

What do you need?

To slaughter bulls, farmers use:

heavy hammer;
string with winch;
knives.

Before killing, the cow is stunned with a sledgehammer so that she loses consciousness, but is not frightened. Meatpacking plants use additional devices and various methods to slaughter a bull. But common for slaughter in a private farmstead and in production is the draining of blood, skinning and removal of internal organs, for which sterile containers are prepared in advance.

To cut a cow carcass into pieces, you will need an ax and a large cleaver. At the end of the work, meat and liver are sent for storage in cold stores, and the cutting place is washed and disinfected.

Cattle slaughter methods

The main requirement for the procedure for slaughtering cows is speed and painlessness. Over the centuries, cattle breeding has developed methods of varying degrees of humanity. Preference is given to a certain method depending on the mass of the bull, the place of slaughter and the professional skills of the slaughterer.

Bleed Stun

The ancient village way of slaughter is as follows:

the head of a cow is tied by the horns;
heavy hammer strikes forehead;
hang up;
cut the carotid artery and bleed.

Pros and consapparent ease of execution.the animal is difficult to stun the first time;in agony, the behavior of cows is unpredictable, the slaughterer may suffer;with incomplete exsanguination of the bull, the quality of the meat decreases;it is difficult to determine the degree of exsanguination.

In the old days, farmers believed that a cow gets a concussion from a hammer blow. But to turn off the consciousness of an animal, it takes about fifteen blows. As a result, a seemingly simple method plunges the bull into agony and fear, and the blood does not drain well.

To determine if the blood has drained completely, it is collected in a measuring container. The volume of blood in a cow's body is 7-8 percent of its mass. Therefore, before slaughter, it is required to weigh the animal, and then calculate the volume and percentage of blood drained.If it is equal to 3.5-4 percent of the total mass, the bleeding was successful and the meat is not spoiled.

Slow bleeding

Ancient way to slaughter a bull from the nomadic peoples of Northern Europe and Siberia: suddenly stab a long knife in the neck so as to pierce the heart. With an accurate hit, the animal quickly dies, and blood flows out through the dissected artery in the neck.

Pros and consthe bull does not have time to be frightened;one hole is made in the skin.to properly cut calves, an experienced slaughterer is needed;contamination of the room with blood in an unsuccessful attempt.

Small bulls are slaughtered with the help of slow bloodletting. They are easier to fix, since the fatal blow must be delivered the first time exactly. A mistake when slaughtering a large bull will spoil the meat, and the slaughterer may suffer from the hooves of a frightened animal.

Using a bottle with a cutter

Bouterol is a special tool of a slaughterer, resembling a hammer with a long handle. On the one hand, it looks like a cone cutter. On the other side is a hook. Buterol weighs almost 2.5 kilograms. With a sharp incisor, bulls pierce the skull in the frontal lobe so as to destroy the brain.

Pros and consthe animal dies instantly;little blood at slaughter.heavy tool;you need an accurate hit.

After killing, you can quickly move on to bleeding and cutting the carcass of a cow for meat. Without experience with buterol, slaughter is difficult to accomplish.

Mask slaughter

To deliver a fatal blow to the skull of a bull, a buterol or a chisel is also used. But to make it easier to get to the right area, a leather mask with a hole is put on the muzzle of the animal.

Pros and consno fundamentals were found.a strong blow is required;The brain of a cow does not always die.

When consciousness is maintained, the work is completed with a metal or willow rod, which is inserted into a hole in the bull's skull.

Skull Crush

An attempt to put the slaughter of livestock on the conveyor is the following technology:

the bull is put on a movable rail platform, fixing the body with sides and the head with holders;
platform slides down at speed;
along the way, the bull hits his forehead on the metal bar.

Pros and consthe death of cows occurs without human intervention;you can quickly kill a lot of animals.preparation and descent frighten animals;the head is unusable.

The method is designed for automatic slaughterhouses. Frightened bull meat loses its value.

Sigmund's method (shooting mask)

The slaughterer puts a mask on the face of the animal. Instead of a hole in her forehead, she is equipped with a metal plate into which the muzzle of a pistol is inserted and the trigger is pulled.

Pros and consdoes not require effort and special skills;fast in execution.the damaged brain of a bull should not be allowed for sale;the clap of the shot scares the cows in line.

If the first animal dies calmly, then subsequent stress is guaranteed.

English way

The essence of the method:

a cow is stunned by a blow to the head;
pierce the lung between the ribs;
pump air, causing suffocation.

Pros and consthe meat is filled with blood.limited product shelf life.

An English slaughterhouse has patented this method of slaughtering bulls for bloody steak.

Kalmyk slaughter method

Kalmyks also appreciated fresh meat with blood, so the following method was used to slaughter livestock:

stunned cow;
cut the sternum or back, exposing the heart;
ligated the main arteries.

Pros and consyou can get meat for connoisseurs.painful for the cow;laborious for the slaughterer.

To work on a living heart, the skills and composure of nomadic Kalmyks are needed.

Russian way

How cattle are slaughtered in Russia:

they tie a string to the horns of the bull and lower his head down;
the string is pulled under the belly and fixed;
standing in front of the bull, thrust a knife between the skull bone and the first cervical vertebra, pointing forward;
stabbed in the lower part of the neck to bleed.

Pros and consthe animal is reliably stunned by the first knife blow;performed by one person;the carcass of a cow is well bled;meat is stored for a long time.the cow should fall on the left side from the side of the slaughterer;as little time as possible should elapse between the first and second blows of the knife.

If a cow falls on its right side during slaughter, it will have to be turned over. Otherwise, one cannot reach the main arteries in the neck and bleed.

Jewish method

The method involves the use of a specially sharpened knife to comply with the rules of kashrut.

The slaughterer and assistant act in stages:

the bull's legs are tied up, pulling the ropes so that he falls on his side;
one person pulls the animal's head back;
the second cuts through the bull's throat along with the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord.

Pros and consabsence of damage and hemorrhages in the cow's brain.one person can't do it;not able to drain the blood from the carcass well.

The Jewish method of slaughtering cattle is considered humane. But without a knife that cleanly cuts the ox hair, the meat will not be kosher.

With electricity

The method was invented by the Americans. Cows are stunned with electric shocks.

Pros and consanimals are killed quickly and painlessly.safety precautions are required;the permissible current level must not be exceeded.

Choppers work in rubber boots, standing on rubber mats. It is enough for one-year-old cows to bring 70-90 Volts for five seconds to turn off consciousness. At high power, the blood coagulates and the meat becomes unfit for food.

Industrial slaughter

In production, they use a combination of conveyor and pistol methods, but without a mask. Animals are brought onto a mobile platform and their heads are fixed with clamps. The conveyor moves to an air gun setup where the cows are stunned with a blow to the area where the horns and eyes intersect. At the meat processing plant, slaughter includes bleeding, eating the skins from bulls. For this, stunned animals are suspended by their legs.

Pros and consthe process is controlled by professionals;technology is followed.blood lingers in the meat.

At the slaughterhouse, each stage of slaughter takes place in a special room and sterile conditions.

Veterinary slaughter option

The method is based on the Russian method. The bull is stunned with a knife between the skull and the first cervical vertebra. Then they strike again in the same place, but point the blade back.

Pros and consquick stun;blood drains well;high quality meat.veterinary education required.

Slaughtering cattle requires knowledge of anatomy and skill with a knife.

More modern methods of slaughtering cattle

The air gun at large enterprises is being replaced by a gas chamber.

Pros and consshort exposure time for cows - 3-7 minutes;the ability to process several animals at the same time.livestock are restless;high cost of equipment.

The chambers are supplied with carbon dioxide.

Ink processing rules

How to slaughter a bull at home:

prepare a free outdoor area or room;
put plastic sheeting on the ground or floor;
put a container for collecting blood and organs nearby;
slaughter a cow with at least two, preferably four;
one person must have slaughtering experience, be a slaughterer or a veterinarian;
stun the bull in a convenient way;
hang the carcass upside down;
cut the veins in the neck with a sharp knife and let the blood drain into the container.

Carcasses of bulls and cows weigh 500 kilograms, some reach a ton. You need to stun, hang and bleed very quickly, otherwise the meat will deteriorate. Therefore, an experienced miner and assistants should be involved in the work.

Skinning and dressing

After bleeding, the cows begin skinning. Sample scheme:

cut off ears;
make incisions around the nose, lips and horns;
cuts from the nostrils to the horns;
cut the skin on the limbs lengthwise;
cut from sternum to groin;
make a slit around the tail.

In the village, the skin is removed by hand, cut with a knife, from a hanging bull or laid on the ground. At the end, the head and hooves are cut off from the carcass to the knee and hock joints.

The skin removed from the cow is cleaned from fat and meat, straightened and fixed on wooden spacers with the pile down. After 2 hours, the inside is rubbed with s alt and left to dry for 5 days.

Properly dried bull skin remains soft and odorless.

How to extract the insides of an animal

The removal of internal organs is called gutting. With the help of the procedure, a valuable liver is extracted, but the intestines are first removed. Feces remain in the digestive tract, despite the daily hunger strike of the cow. Also dangerous is the microflora, consisting of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria. To avoid contamination of the meat, the organs must be removed within the first forty minutes after the slaughter of the bull. Nutration is more convenient to carry out on a suspended carcass:

tie up the esophagus;
cut the chest of the cow in the middle;
cut the sternum and fusion of the pelvic bones;
remove the intestines, bladder and gallbladder by cutting the retaining ligaments;
take out other organs;
clean the inner walls of the carcass from the remnants of the ligaments and the diaphragm with a knife.

Opening the abdominal cavity of a cow should be done carefully so as not to damage the walls of the intestines, bladder and gallbladder. Otherwise, bile and biological fluids containing decay products and bacteria will spread over soft tissues. But the meat can be saved if you quickly wash it with water and potassium permanganate.

The organs are laid out in containers and inspected. Upon detection of tumors, traces of the stay of helminths, the insides are rejected. To establish whether it is safe to eat meat from a cow with damaged organs, the presence and opinion of a veterinarian is needed.

Carcass cutting

To butcher a bull carcass, it is cut in half along the spine. The resulting half-carcasses are divided in half - sawn between the twelfth and thirteenth rib.

Parts of the carcass have their own names, differ in meat varieties and purpose:

Thin, thick edge, entrecote (dorsal part along the spine)First, secondTender meat, thin strips of fatRoasted, used for making rolls, fillings for pies. TenderloinFirstHighly appreciated due to tenderness and lack of greasy layer in meatBaked whole, fried, grilled. Suitable for barbecue, azu and chops. Soft tasty meat, the inside is especially appreciated Suitable for all types of heat treatment, first and second courses. Rump, probe, sek (outer middle, inner and lower part of the thigh pulp)FirstLow-fat soft meat Stewed, boiled, baked. Used for soups, roast beef.Curl (abdominal part)Second Boiled, minced. When boiled, it goes into soup, goulash.BreastFirst Hip ThirdValued for flavor and aroma, tough textureSlow roasted. Stewed, suitable for soup, goulash, azu.

Name of the part	Meat variety	Description	Destination
Cut (neck)	Third	Many tendons	Boiled and stewed, used in the preparation of broth, jelly.
	Thick and thin edge - meat on four or five ribs. Entrecote - the pulp between the ribs and near the vertebrae.	Roasted, baked, stewed. The ribs go to soups, the meat is served on the bone.


			Meat from coarse fiber with cartilage, fat, bones

			Suitable for borscht, rolls, meatballs
Trim	First	Delicious pulp with a layer of fat	Chop into minced meat, boiled for broth.
Shovel	Second	Hard fibers, thick veins
	Meat interspersed with fat strips	Goes to soup, borscht, boiled, stewed.
		Valued for marrow bone. The quality is reduced due to the large number of veins.	Used in the preparation of aspic.

Butchers use different types of butcher knives:

knife-ax - for frozen meat;
boning - to separate cartilage;
universal or sirloin - for cutting parts.

Carcasses of cows are stored before cutting at a temperature of 0 … -4 degrees. After cutting, the meat ripens for two weeks at a temperature of +1-2 degrees. Ripening increases the shelf life of products.