Cattle w/o food/water 36 hrs before slaughter?

[cowpunk'd]

I was dismayed to discover my calves stood at the slaughter plant for 36 hrs before being slaughtered. I had given them a bucket of water when I unloaded them, if I had known they were going to wait that long I would have kept them home another day. I believe the local slaughterplant is understaffed, as there were only 7 other cattle there when I unloaded my two at 7 pm. I expected they would be slaughtered the next morning. Can anyone here tell me, is it common for cattle to wait that long in a tiny concrete pen with no feed/water?

 

[msscamp]

Dont know. Mine are slaughtered as I drive away as I hear the gun shots.

Since you're driving away, I'm curious as to how you know the gun shots are for your cattle? Most slaughter houses have a high enough capacity, as stated by the original poster, to render this type of statement impossible.

 

[Keren]

Wow, guess abs in Australia are different to abs in America.

a) all the abs I have dealt with use captive bolts, not guns.

b) all the abs I have dealt with have automatic water troughs in the pens. In fact, I think there is a welfare code to say they must have water until they are taken to the kill box.

 

[Jogeephus]

Here, it depends on how many cattle they get in. Our guy does give them something to eat and water but not really enough to satisfy them - in my opinion. This is why I always call ahead and schedule my deliveries. I also call again on the day of the appointment to be sure no one dumped a bunch in front of me. I also stay and watch them being killed and won't leave till they are hanging with the proper name tagged to each half.

 

[MrBilly]

Our two university plants like the animals to be brought in the day before slaughter. This allows for the stress level to diminish in the animal from the transport transport . They get water overnight which also allows the rumen time to empty.

We always take them off grain a day or so before slaughter but leave them on hay until the night before delivery to a non-university meat plant where they are slaughtered pretty soon after delivery. Cutting out the grain and hay allows the rumen to reduce in size and is less likely to be cut during evisceration - less contamination risk of the carcass.

Billy

 

[hopalong]

Dont know. Mine are slaughtered as I drive away as I hear the gun shots.

Since you're driving away, I'm curious as to how you know the gun shots are for your cattle? Most slaughter houses have a high enough capacity, as stated by the original poster, to render this type of statement impossible.

I was being sarcastic. I do know they are slaughtered that day as they hang for 14 days after they are dropped off.

How do you know they hang for 14 days? why not 13/ or even 12?
Any one can say they have been hanging for x number of days?

 

[I luv herfrds]

Our butcher comes to get our steers. We cut them off of feed, but not water for 12 hours and sometimes longer, but they always have water. Except for this time, forgot to cut them off last night.

Don't know what is going on at the place you went. Next time I would do as Jo says.

 

[TexasBred]

If I was that concerned about hanging time I probably wouldn't use that outfit anyway....OR..I'd drive down and look at the beef hanging everyday. Then watch them cut and wrap it when the time came.

 

[grannysoo]

I don't see a problem with cutting off the food, but definately not the water. They should always have access to water at all times.

 

[donnaIL]

Our small processing plant only schedules what they can handle...meaning I have to schedule usually a month in advance...animals to be dropped off by 9 am...as early as 6 am, usually killed in the order received i believe., can call that afternoon and get hang weights and give customer name & cutting/hanging instructions. they will handle a emergency processing if necessary (had a broken leg couple years ago)...USDA processor and they do a great job.

When you say a slaughter house are you talking about this or something else?

 

[grubbie]

I would be extremely upset if that was my animal. From what I understand, beef should be butchered while on a wait GAIN cycle. Being without food for 3 days is not gaining weight. Even without that, just leaving an animal with no food or water is cruel. Man, I would be HOT. Mine was put down within five minutes of leaving the trailer. They use a rifle where I went.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Ours take them on Sunday afternoon for Monday kill. Only takes what they can take care of on Monday.

 

[hopalong]

Wonder what ole bunny rabbit (AKA Hopalong) had to say? I dont know I cannot see his post as he is on my foes list.

Yea right, you are to vain to NOT see what everyone is saying TTCLM aka cattlemanfromouterspace et all

 

[hopalong]

I just tried the old friend and foe thing that TTCLM claims he uses on me!
Guess what, it eleinates any posts by me my name doesn't show up so if he is using it on me how does he know i am posting LOL LOL LOL, Nice try!!!!

 

[cowpunk'd]

Thanks for the replies to my post. I had made the appointment back in the first week of August, about two months in advance, and I had called Monday night just before loading up to make sure there was room for my two. There was lots of room. An employee did give the excuse that their had been an emergency on Tuesday, when I discovered they were still waiting Tuesday at 4 p.m. It wasn't until Wednesday at 5 p.m that I learnt they had waited the entire Tues. night and weren't killed until sometime Wednesday.
The pens don't have autmatic waterers which is why I left them with a bucket, enough for the first night only. It is a liscenced facility and supposedly has an inspector on site, but obviously animal welfare doesn't appear on anyone's list of responsibilities.I believe it is the only liscenced abbatoir for cattle on the island.