Animal slaughter
Encyclopedia
Slaughter is the term used to describe the kill
ing and butcher
ing of animal
s, usually for food
. Commonly it refers to killing and butchering of domestic
livestock
(tame animals).
The animals most commonly slaughtered for food are cattle
(for beef
and veal
), water buffalo
, sheep (for lamb
and mutton
), goat
s, pig
s (for pork
), horse
s (for horse meat
), and fowl
, largely chickens, turkeys, and ducks and increasingly fish
from the aquaculture
industry (fish farming
).
of animals is also used for food production. Such slaughter is governed by various laws, most notably:
In the United States
, the United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) specifies the approved methods of livestock slaughter:
Chemical (carbon dioxide
): This method is approved for sheep, calves
and swine. The animal is asphyxia
ted by the use of carbon dioxide gas before being bled.
Mechanical (captive bolt): This method is approved for sheep, swine, goat
s, calves, cattle
, horse
s, mule
s, and other equines
. A captive bolt stunner
is applied to the livestock so as to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animals before they are bled.
Mechanical (gunshot): This method is approved for cattle, calves, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines. The gun is used to render the animal immediately unconscious (and presumably dead) before being bled.
Electrical (stunning or slaughtering with electric current): This method is approved for swine, sheep, calves, cattle, and goats. The current applied is sufficient to ensure surgical anesthesia throughout the "bleeding" of the animal.
Each of these methods is outlined in detail, and the regulations require that inspectors identify operations which cause undue "excitement and discomfort" of animals.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the main governing body responsible for slaughter in the UK.
The general principle of the legal non ritual slaughter of animals for consumption in the UK is a two stage process to ensure a humane and rapid death.
1.Stunning
; the Animal is 'stunned' – rendering it unconscious
2. Killing; the animal either has its throat cut or has a chest stick (cutting close to the heart) both where main veins and/or arteries are cut and allowed to bleed causing death by Exsanguination
.
In the United Kingdom
the methods of slaughter are largely the same as those used in the United States with some differences.
The use of captive bolt equipment and electrical stunning are approved methods of stunning sheep, goats, cattle and calves for consumption- with the use of gas reserved for swine.
Free bullet slaughter is not an accepted method in the United Kingdom if the animal is intended for consumption.
KILL
KILL is the sixth album by Detroit rock band Electric Six.In initial press releases, the band described the album as being a return to a sound more akin to their debut album, but this was later revealed by front-man Dick Valentine to be more gimmick than truth.An explicit video was released for...
ing and butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
ing of animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, usually for food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
. Commonly it refers to killing and butchering of domestic
Domestication
Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...
livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
(tame animals).
The animals most commonly slaughtered for food are cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
(for beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
and veal
Veal
Veal is the meat of young cattle , as opposed to meat from older cattle. Though veal can be produced from a calf of either sex and any breed, most veal comes from male calves of dairy cattle breeds...
), water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
, sheep (for lamb
Lamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
and mutton
Lamb (food)
Lamb, mutton, and hogget are the meat of domestic sheep. The meat of a sheep in its first year is lamb; that of a juvenile sheep older than 1 year is hogget; and the meat of an adult sheep is mutton....
), goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s (for pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
), horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s (for horse meat
Horse meat
Horse meat is the culinary name for meat cut from a horse. It is a major meat in only a few countries, notably in Central Asia, but it forms a significant part of the culinary traditions of many others, from Europe to South America to Asia. The top eight countries consume about 4.7 million horses...
), and fowl
Fowl
Fowl is a word for birds in general but usually refers to birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl and the waterfowl...
, largely chickens, turkeys, and ducks and increasingly fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
from the aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
industry (fish farming
Fish farming
Fish farming is the principal form of aquaculture, while other methods may fall under mariculture. Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in tanks or enclosures, usually for food. A facility that releases young fish into the wild for recreational fishing or to supplement a species'...
).
Laws for ritual slaughter
Ritual slaughterRitual slaughter
Ritual slaughter is the practice of slaughtering livestock for meat in a ritual manner. Ritual slaughter involves a prescribed method of slaughtering an animal for food production purposes...
of animals is also used for food production. Such slaughter is governed by various laws, most notably:
- ShechitaShechitaShechita is the ritual slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws...
- Jewish laws of slaughtering animals - Dhabihah - Islamic law of slaughtering animals
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
(USDA) specifies the approved methods of livestock slaughter:
Chemical (carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
): This method is approved for sheep, calves
Calf
Calves are the young of domestic cattle. Calves are reared to become adult cattle, or are slaughtered for their meat, called veal.-Terminology:...
and swine. The animal is asphyxia
Asphyxia
Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from being unable to breathe normally. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which primarily affects the tissues and organs...
ted by the use of carbon dioxide gas before being bled.
Mechanical (captive bolt): This method is approved for sheep, swine, goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, calves, cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s, mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s, and other equines
Equidae
Equidae is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus Equus...
. A captive bolt stunner
Captive bolt pistol
A captive bolt pistol is a device used for stunning animals prior to slaughter....
is applied to the livestock so as to produce immediate unconsciousness in the animals before they are bled.
Mechanical (gunshot): This method is approved for cattle, calves, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, and other equines. The gun is used to render the animal immediately unconscious (and presumably dead) before being bled.
Electrical (stunning or slaughtering with electric current): This method is approved for swine, sheep, calves, cattle, and goats. The current applied is sufficient to ensure surgical anesthesia throughout the "bleeding" of the animal.
Each of these methods is outlined in detail, and the regulations require that inspectors identify operations which cause undue "excitement and discomfort" of animals.
Great Britain
The UK is governed under both Its own laws and EU law regarding slaughter.Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is the main governing body responsible for slaughter in the UK.
The general principle of the legal non ritual slaughter of animals for consumption in the UK is a two stage process to ensure a humane and rapid death.
1.Stunning
Stunning
Stunning is the process of rendering animals immobile or unconscious, without killing the animal, prior to their being slaughtered for food.-History:...
; the Animal is 'stunned' – rendering it unconscious
2. Killing; the animal either has its throat cut or has a chest stick (cutting close to the heart) both where main veins and/or arteries are cut and allowed to bleed causing death by Exsanguination
Exsanguination
Exsanguination is the fatal process of hypovolemia , to a degree sufficient enough to cause death. One does not have to lose literally all of one's blood to cause death...
.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
the methods of slaughter are largely the same as those used in the United States with some differences.
The use of captive bolt equipment and electrical stunning are approved methods of stunning sheep, goats, cattle and calves for consumption- with the use of gas reserved for swine.
Free bullet slaughter is not an accepted method in the United Kingdom if the animal is intended for consumption.
Operation
- SlaughterhouseSlaughterhouseA slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
- Ike jimeIke jimeor is a method of paralyzing and bleeding fish to maintain its quality. The technique originated in Japan, but is now in widespread use. It involves the insertion of a spike quickly and directly into the hind brain, thereby causing immediate brain death. A fish brain is usually located slightly...
, a Japanese method of slaughtering fish - Pig slaughterPig slaughterPig slaughter is the work of slaughtering domestic pigs which is both a common economic activity as well as a traditional feast in some European countries.-Agriculture:...
- Horse slaughterHorse slaughterHorse slaughter is the practice of slaughtering horses for meat. These animals come mainly from auctions, where they're sold by private sellers and breeders....
See also
- Animal euthanasiaAnimal euthanasiaAnimal euthanasia is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, an animal suffering from an incurable, especially a painful, disease or condition. Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress...
- Cattle slaughter
- Controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK)
- Humane Slaughter ActHumane Slaughter ActThe Humane Slaughter Act, or the Humane Methods of Livestock Slaughter Act, is a United States federal law designed to protect livestock during slaughter. It was passed in 1958...
- Ritual slaughterRitual slaughterRitual slaughter is the practice of slaughtering livestock for meat in a ritual manner. Ritual slaughter involves a prescribed method of slaughtering an animal for food production purposes...
, Animal sacrificeAnimal sacrificeAnimal sacrifice is the ritual killing of an animal as part of a religion. It is practised by many religions as a means of appeasing a god or gods or changing the course of nature... - Pig scalderPig scalderA Pig scalder is a tool that was used to soften the skin of a pig after it had been killed to remove the hair from its skin. Because people rarely slaughter and process their own pigs anymore, pig scalders are seldom used for domestic use....
- Pig slaughterPig slaughterPig slaughter is the work of slaughtering domestic pigs which is both a common economic activity as well as a traditional feast in some European countries.-Agriculture:...
- Poultry slaughter
- Rendering (food processing)
- Sheep slaughter
- People for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsPeople for the Ethical Treatment of AnimalsPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
- VegetarianismVegetarianismVegetarianism encompasses the practice of following plant-based diets , with or without the inclusion of dairy products or eggs, and with the exclusion of meat...