SELECTING SLAUGHTER AND HYGIENE OF SACRIFICE ANİMALS

The Bairam of Sacrifice (Religious Holiday) is a 3 days period and in this time interval approximately 2 and a half million small and large animals are slaughtered. Before and during The Holiday of Sacrifice, a high circulation and transportation of farm animals from the countryside is towarded to the big cities especially Istanbul. Slaughtering can be continued during the 3 days, it is generally intensified on the first day of the Holiday. Since high numbers of animals are slaughtered, inspection processes can be limped. Cattle, sheep, goat, buffaloes and camel are the most preferred sacrificial animals for slaughtering respectively. Animals chosen for slaughter should be healthy. Animal welfare rules should be applied before slaughtering. The animals must be rested from 8 to 10 hours before slaughtering. Slaughtering process must be applied in the slaughterhouses and / or at the places that the municipalities allot for slaughtering. After slaughtering and bleeding is completed, skinning must be applied carefully. During the skinning process the skin must not be damaged and any meat traces should be avoided on. Hygiene should be at maximum levels during the whole slaughtering process particularly after removing the internal organs. The carcass must be cut into the parts properly. Veterinarians must definitely inspect the animals that would be slaughtered before slaughtering processes especially in big cities.