Meat establishment construction and equipment - Gracey's Meat Hygiene - page 50

race can be 36 m long, with stop gates to prevent the
animals going backwards. Catwalks must be provided
alongside the race to enable handlers to control stock
movement, check identification, etc.
Gates should be 2.4 m wide gates (at the end of each
pen) which can be used for the pens and/or closing the
adjoining passageway. For cattle, pens may be 7.6 m × 6 m,
large enough to hold 20-25 cattle.

Lairage (see also chapter 6)
A knowledge of animal behaviour is fundamental to
lairage design. The importance of suitable lairage accom-
modation for animals awaiting slaughter cannot be
overestimated, since good design can play a key role in
ensuring that animals are unloaded and moved through
the lairage with minimal intervention and therefore
minimal stress. This not only ensures animal welfare but
in addition assists in ensuring good eating quality.
Water must be made available to animals at all times
in the lairage. The facility provided must be suitable for
the type and numbers of livestock. Forage and feeding
facilities must be made available if animals are to be kept
in the lairage for more than 12 hours. A suitable sized
store is therefore required for the storage of feed and
forage and of bedding material where this is used.
An isolation pen, with solid walls and separate
drainage, must be available for sick or 'suspect' animals.
To i l e t and hand-washing facilities must be provided in
the vicinity of the lairage. Boot-washing equipment is an
essential component for farmers, buyers and lairage staff.
Points for connection for a power hose should be
placed conveniently, so that all parts of the lairage can be
reached by a sufficient supply of water for cleansing; an
adequate estimate is 500l per adult bovine slaughtered.
Whatever system of lairage is adopted, special emphasis
must be placed on ease of cleansing, comfort for the
animals and ease of handling them.

Sheep lairage
Sheep pens should be 0.9 m high with passages 0.9 m wide
between them. To prevent animals putting their heads
through the lower rails of the pens, these rails should not
be more than 15 cm apart. Double-hinged gates should be
used in all sheep and pig pens, as they greatly facilitate entry
and exit of stock; two adjoining pens can accommodate an
overflow of animals if a sliding gate is provided between the
pens. Since sheep drink quite freely after transport, sheep
pens must be provided with water troughs, placed some
50 cm from the floor to prevent fouling. Hayracks should
also be provided above the level of the sheep's heads (Fig. 3.4).
Straw should be provided for solid floors to help keep
the sheep dry. Expanded metal floors will achieve the
same purpose.
There is no objection to cattle and sheep lairages being
provided in the same building, but while pigs and sheep
may be housed together without detrimental effect,
cattle do not appear to rest well in the company of pigs.

Pig lairage
Pig pens are preferably constructed with solid walls. If
rails are used, they should be stronger than those
required for the sheep lairage; the lower horizontal rails
of the pen should not be more than 15 cm apart to
prevent pigs putting their heads between the rails. The
feeding troughs should be so designed that the pigs can-
not gain access to them while the troughs are being
cleansed and filled. The pens should be long and narrow
to allow more pigs to rest against the walls.

Cattle lairage (Table 3.3)
Cattle lairage pens may be constructed of solid rendered
block wall or tubular galvanised steel and at least 1.8 m
high. Tubular steel should be used rather than box metal
as it is easier to clean with a power hose. While durable
tubular fencing has been found satisfactory for holding
pens, the final drive races should have solid sides, non-
slip floor surfaces and lighting to encourage the animals
to go forwards. Side gates should be installed to handle
emergencies when cattle refuse to move and also to pro-
vide escape gates for personnel in the drive race when
they are confronted with wild animals. The length of the
final race is determined by the overall throughput of the
meat plant. It is an important area for ensuring an even
flow forwards, checking slaughter sequence numbers
and other forms of identification. In a large plant, this

Table 3.3 Recommended minimum space per animal for the
housing of livestock in abattoirs

Cattle (loose) 2.3-2.8 m 2 /head

Pigs (bacon and small porkers) 0.6 m 2 /head

Heavy pigs, calves and sheep 0.75 m 2 /head

Figure 3.4 Well-designed sheep drinker.