2. Ante-mortem Inspection Areas

Ante-mortem inspection areas should be designed and constructed to facilitate in spection and to prevent animals from being injured. Consider the following guidelines in designing and constructing these areas:

  • To avoid delays in slaughter operations, pens for ante-mortem inspection should have the capacity for holding the maximum number of animals of the various species that will be slaughtered in a single day.
  • To facilitate the ante-mortem inspection of animals, a separate suspect pen with a squeeze chute should be provided, where the temperature of the animals may be taken.
  • At least 50 percent of the livestock pen, including the area where the suspect pen and squeeze chute are located, should be under a weather tight roof to provide an area for proper ante- mortem inspection in inclement weather.
  • Special consideration should be given to designing ante-mortem inspection facilities to allow for humane transporting of crippled or downer animals in to the slaughtering department. Because crippled and downer animals have difficulty moving, special doorways and hoists to transport them to the stunning area should be provided.

3. Slaughter Area

The slaughter area is one of the most difficult areas to keep sanitary because of the nature of slaughter operations. Consider the following guidelines in designing and constructing slaughter areas to minimize contamination of carcasses:

  • The slaughter area should be separated from the outside by a full- height partition or wall made of impervious material.
  • Any doors to the outside of the slaughter area should be self-closing to minimize the risk of contamination, including contamination by vermin.
  • Slaughter areas should have floor space arranged to facilitate the sanitary conduct of operations and efficient inspection. For example, to prevent contamination of carcasses, truck ways through which products are conveyed from the slaughter area to rooms such as the offal cooler, should be located so that the material is not trucked beneath rails from which dressed carcasses and products are suspended. For the same reason, personnel traffic should not move through lines of carcasses.

4. Stunning Areas Including Chutes and Alleys

Stunning areas, chutes and alleys, should be designed to prevent congestion, injury to animals, and minimize contamination of hides which can lead to contamination of the carcasses. Consider the following guidelines when designing these facilities:

  • All pathways, chutes, and alleys leading to stunning areas, and the stunning areas, should be large enough for the species being slaughtered.
  • All pathways, chutes, and alleys leading to stunning areas, and the stunning areas, should be free from pain-producing restraining devices, sharp projections such as loose boards, exposed bolt ends, splintered or broken plan king, protruding metal, and exposed wheels or gears.
  • All pathways, chutes, and alleys leading to stunning areas, and the stunning areas, should be free of unnecessary holes and openings where the animals’ feet or legs may be injured.
  • Overhead gates should be covered at the bottom edge to prevent, injury to the animals.
  • Flooring should be constructed of roughened or cleated cement to reduce falls.
  • Stunning areas should be provided for confining animals for stunning before bleeding.
  • If ritualistic slaughter operations are conducted in the stunning area, shackles to confine the animals also should be provided.
  • When captive bolt stunners are used, the stunning areas should be designed and constructed to limit the free movements of animals so that the operator can locate the stunning blow with a high degree of accuracy.
  • When electrical stunning is used, the stunning area should be constructed so that any power activated gates will not cause injury to the animals.
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