Why must animals be alive when they are taken to slaughter?

Question

There was a girl on "America's Next Top Model" ridiculed (and subsequently eliminated) for not understanding why animals must be alive (chickens, cattle, pigs) before they're taken to slaughterhouses. I never understood why either!

Answer 1

well if there were not alive then it would be called a butcher house not a sluaghter house

Answer 2

I'm not 100% certain, but when any warm-blooded animal dies, their circulation stops. When the blood stops circulating, it begins to settle in certain areas. Blood that pools can damage the meat or render it inedible.

Also, when the blood stops pumping, that means oxygen is not being circulated in and out of the body. Lack of oxygen means the body starts to decompose - literally within minutes.

So, the slaughterhouses want the meat to be as fresh as possible when they get it. (ironic, isn't it?!)

Answer 3

ahh this is quite difficult to answer without being condescending..

Slaughter generally means kill and it would be pointless to bring them to a place where they are to be killed if they are already dead. Get it?



It would like executing a convict who is already dead. No need to bring them to the electric chair right?

Answer 4

they arent as fresh maybe the body taste disspates fast

Answer 5

haha, are you serious well firstly if they were dead it wouldn't be called a slaughter house

Answer 6

I guess it has to do something with it being "fresh" as sick as that sounds ..........

Answer 7

There's also concern of diseases any time an animal dies before reaching the slaughterhouse.

Answer 8

You can't kill something that is already DEAD!

Answer 9

What people don't realise is that the stations that run cattle and sheep are the very backbone of the nation, as well as those who grow grain, cotton etc.

We normally (and for as far back as history goes kill and eat our produce.)

Some people need to get over it.

It's not only what I have done for a lifetime with other farmers, but what others share with others, bartering, etc...

Ever watched a wildlife show where the animal preys on it's little fluffy prey - and gets it and tears it apart, raw?

Well humans are much kinder than that- the normal ones.

Answer 10

Because it must be bled out as quickly as possible to prevent spoilage.

Answer 11

i dont think it has to a lot with how the meat taste, its all around disgusting,

what of the show was that? i was just thinking about have they ever had an inncident with fur on the show?

anyway there are so many animal that i dont think theres enough time they have to do everything rapidly in order to keep up with production

edit: wow ppl are really stupid on this site,

Answer 12

It has to do with the tenderness of the meat. Even the way the animal gets killed matters with tender meat.

Answer 13

I am not sure what you mean, slaughterhouses are where the animals are killed so of course they are alive when they are killed.

Answer 14

How else would you have this done?  They must be dead before they can be packaged!