Handling Hides. — (Copyrighted; Reprint Forbidden.)
The proper handling of the hides of slaughtered animals, so as to obtain the best possible prices for them and avoiding excessive shrinkage before they are marketed, is a very important matter and should have the Butcher’s careful attention.
In the first place, it should be borne in mind that it is an easy matter to badly damage the hide of an animal before killing by prodding it with a pole. This of course should always be avoided.
The killing floor should be kept as clean as possible. If there is blood on the floor and this gets on the hair and remains there, when the hides are stacked up this blood comes in contact with the fleshy side of the hide next to it and will make a spot which gives the hide a very bad appearance. By keeping the hides entirely free from blood, they make a better appearance and bring a better price.
The greatest care should be given to the removal of the hide, so they are not scored, as this greatly reduces the value of the hides to the tanner. A good, careful skinner is worth several dollars a week more to the Butcher who kills many animals than a skinner who is careless in his work. (The hide should be so nicely removed from the animal that when it comes to the tanner it should look like it had been planed from the animal, it should be so free from cuts or scores.)