Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology

FASTING

Animals with full stomachs will cause 

• excessive  contamination of carcass and offal if accidentally cut during the dressing procedure
• wet hides and fleeces encouraging the transfer of faecal material particularly to areas such as the shanks brisket and hocks
• The withholding of feed  begins at the time the animals leave the farm and causes loss of body weight.
• It is important to know how long animals can be fasted before body weight losses commence and the extent of these losses.  
• Adult cattle lose no weight three days after removal from pasture but loss severely after four days withdrawal of food.
• Adult sheep would not lose as much body weight as lambs in comparable periods.
• Younger the animals lose greater the live weight following fasting.
• Therefore, resting periods should be geared accordingly and stock for slaughter should be drawn from production areas as close to slaughter points as possible.
• Cattle in good condition should not be held for too long a period before slaughter in cold weather.