Dressing Techniques and Carcass Yield

In unit-5 of this course you have already studied that the slaughter and dressing of livestock may be carried out either on the rail or on the floor. Dressing of the animals involves various steps like removal of skin, leg, head and visceral organs (lungs, liver, heart, spleen etc.) and washing of the carcass etc. through which an animal after stunning and bleeding becomes ready for marketing or further processing. The storage life of meat depends on conditions during slaughter and dressing. A uniform approach to dressing technique in all the countries is not possible due to climatic conditions, stage of development, social differences and religious practices. In general, following are essential during slaughter and dressing of animals:

• Proper ante-mortem examination to ensure that the animals are healthy and free from diseases. 
• Humane slaughter which refers to stunning of animal prior to bleeding. 
• Complete bleeding to prevent growth of microorganisms and to improve the appearance of carcass. 
• Hygienic dressing (i.e., dehiding, evisceration etc.) to obtain good quality meat. 
• Proper postmortem inspection to ensure the production of hygienic and wholesome meat. 

In this unit we will discuss line dressing system, dressing techniques for different meat animals, carcass yield and dressing percentage of different meat animals in detail.