Livestock Slaughterer Career

*A job as a Livestock Slaughterer falls under the broader career category of Slaughterers and Meat Packers. The information on this page will generally apply to all careers in this category but may not specifically apply to this career title.

Job Description for Slaughterers and Meat Packers : Perform nonroutine or precision functions involving the preparation of large portions of meat. Work may include specialized slaughtering tasks, cutting standard or premium cuts of meat for marketing, making sausage, or wrapping meats. Work typically occurs in slaughtering, meat packing, or wholesale establishments.


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Slaughterers and Meat Packer Career

What Slaughterers and Meat Packers do:

  • Slit open, eviscerate, and trim carcasses of slaughtered animals.
  • Cut, trim, skin, sort, and wash viscera of slaughtered animals to separate edible portions from offal.
  • Remove bones, and cut meat into standard cuts in preparation for marketing.
  • Trim head meat, and sever or remove parts of animals' heads or skulls.
  • Saw, split, or scribe carcasses into smaller portions to facilitate handling.
  • Skin sections of animals or whole animals.
  • Shave or singe and defeather carcasses, and wash them in preparation for further processing or packaging.
  • Shackle hind legs of animals to raise them for slaughtering or skinning.
  • Tend assembly lines, performing a few of the many cuts needed to process a carcass.
  • Grind meat into hamburger, and into trimmings used to prepare sausages, luncheon meats, and other meat products.
  • Sever jugular veins to drain blood and facilitate slaughtering.
  • Stun animals prior to slaughtering.
  • Wrap dressed carcasses or meat cuts.
  • Trim, clean, or cure animal hides.
  • Slaughter animals in accordance with religious law, and determine that carcasses meet specified religious standards.

What work activities are most important?

Importance Activities

Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Holland Code Chart for a Slaughterers and Meat Packer