Sticking and Bleeding

STICKING AND BLEEDING
  • After stunning the hog is hooked and shackled around one pastern and the hog is hoisted to a convenient height for sticking (hogs may be conveniently stuck by holding the hog on its back on the floor).
  • Using a sticking knife or skinning knife, small incision is made on the skin in the middle of the neck at the depression just anterior to the sternum (point of the breastbone).
  • Knife is inserted above the breastbone at a distance of 2 -1/4 inches, pointing the knife towards the rectum, then  a quarter circle is completed with a downward motion.
  • The motion will sever the anterior vena cava, brachiocephalic trunk at the entrance of the chest, carotid artery and jugular vein providing a thorough bleeding.
  • The knife should be kept on the centre line otherwise a shoulder stick will result, and this will require unnecessary waste when trimming the shoulder.
  • Bleeding is allowed thoroughly (4-10 minutes).
  • All blood is washed off and the carcass is dropped into the scalding vat.
Last modified: Friday, 17 September 2010, 8:34 AM