Important Note: This is the third installment of an ongoing series about how animals are handled throughout the entire slaughter process. Here are links to the previous installments about the steps that have led up to this point: Introduction Welfare on the Farm Temple Grandin Transportation
For animals to be safely unloaded from the trailer, Grandin encourages very specific handling techniques and equipment designs. She prescribes details all the way down to the angle the ramp from the trailer exit to the ground should be, and how many animals should be moved together at one time. Livestock should be unloaded as soon as possible because stationary vehicles allow heat to build up and increase the risk of fighting. All of this knowledge has stemmed from her decades of research into livestock behavior and humane practices. While animals are being offloaded, there is usually a worker who is inspecting every animal that steps off the trailer, making sure they are in good condition. If an animal is sick or injured, it needs to be identified as soon as possible to be treated. In the UK, the person who does this is referred as an animal welfare officer (AWO), and it is required by law that he or she evaluates every single animal that is to be slaughtered. Even in regions where it is not required by law, having a trained inspector who knows the signs of animal distress lay their eyes on the animals maximizes productivity by insuring that every animal is in the best health possible before being processed. The goal is to move animals slowly to not excite them (bumping into gates or fighting with each other will cause bruising), get them safely out of the trailer and through the alleys without slipping, and delivering them to a holding pen where they will spend the last hours of their life. This time in the holding pen is all about letting them unwind to be comfortable. They should be able to get a drink, stretch their legs, and possibly even lie down. Here are a few of Grandin’s recommendations for optimum holding pen design:
As you can see, producers, including slaughterhouse workers, have to obey a very specific protocol to keep animals calm and prevent injuries. It’s important to note that, although these designs and taking extra time to move animals calmly do cost more money, processing plants are financially liable for any accidents that happen. That can be hundreds of dollars for one minor slip. It actually pays to handle animals kindly. The livestock have been brought up humanely on the farm, transported in a way that minimizes stress, unloaded and released into a holding pen, and are now awaiting slaughter. The next installment in this Slaughter Process Series will be about how we are actually able to take an animals life without it suffering any pain or stress at all. Stay tuned!
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