HOG PROCESSING

Objectives

Describe the process to harvest a hog Describe the process to harvest a

chicken

Important Terms

Exsanguinate – to bleed Eviscerate – Removing the viscera Pluck – trachea, lungs, heart, and

esophagus DFD – Dark, Firm, and Dry PSE – Pale, Soft, Exudative

Weigh and Stun

Record a live weight for the animal Guide the animal into the stunning chute

and administer an electrical shock to the brain. The shock induces a seizure

The animal will still move and the heart will beat, but the animal will be unconscious

Shackle and Stick

Shackle the hogs hind legs and suspend the animal

Insert the knife between the tip of the sternum and the throatlatch

Dip the knife until it contacts the backbone

The slit must remain small to prevent water from entering the body during the scalding process

Scald and Dehair

Scald the hog for 3 minutes to loosen the hair

Remove the hair by use of the dehair machine, manually, singeing with a flame, and shaving the hog

Head Removal

Split the sternum with the knife, do not cut the stomach

Cut off the head, leave the jowls on the head

Evisceration

To remove the bung, begin by cutting around the anus, disconnecting it from the rest of the body, but leaving it attatched to the intestine

Tie off the bung and push it inside the body cavity

Split the abdominal cavity and diaphragm

The organs will fall forward into the catch bucket

Remove the pluck Remove leaf fat (kidney fat)

Splitting

Split the ham and the aitch bone (pubic symphysis)

Use the saw to split through the vertebral column, leave a tag of skin at the neck to connect the two halves of the carcasses

Visually inspect the carcass and then wash

Weight the carcass Spray with organic acid, then move to

the blast cooler

Review

What is the pluck? What is the bung? List the steps to slaughter a hog

CHICKEN PROCESSING

To render the animal unconscious, poke the knife through the palate of the chicken’s mouth and puncture the brain

Slit the throat, but leave the head attached

Allow the animal to bleed out

Place the animal in a scalding vat Then put the chicken in the defeathering

maching Take the chicken to the processing table

and continue to remove the remaining feathers

Remove the feet and head Cut out a large area around the vent,

between the tail and the sternum

Reach into the body cavity and scrape out the organs

Rinse the body cavity of blood and remaining tissue

Chill the chicken in water, then remove to the freezer

Objectives

Describe the process to harvest a hog Describe the process to harvest a

chicken

Review

How do you render a chicken unconscious?

How do we chill chickens? What do we do to remove the feathers?