Abattoir Practices and Animal Products Technology

FLAYING

• Flaying refers to the skinning operation performed by skilled workers following a uniform pattern.
• Being a valuable byproduct, improper flaying will lower its value.
• In modern large animal abattoirs, skinning of buffalo and cattle is done on pritch plates.
• These are steel plates of 20 cm diameter about 120 cm long and 60 cm wide, anchored to the floor with bolts.
• The animal is lowered onto this plate for skinning and is held in position by a pritch bar - a metal rod.
• On a smooth floor, skilled workers can very well accomplish this task.
• If this facility is not available, it can be efficiently done on a skinning cradle made up of steel tubings or smooth round timber rods.