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However, there are several locations 

 in this and other states where locker 

 plants have their slaughter plants lo- 

 cated within the city limits with the 

 consent of city officials. At these 

 points, the city officials have expressed 

 the belief that locker operators would 

 naturally do a better j6b of keeping 

 the plant in a sanitary condition when 

 it is near his processing operation than 

 at a point in the country. 



Likewise the city inspector finds it 

 more convenient to do the inspecting. 

 State officials of the Pure Foods Divi- 

 sion have no objection to the location 

 in the city as long as the plant and 

 surrounding premises are kept in a 

 sanitary condition and has adequate 

 sewage disposal. One of the problems 

 confronting locker plants with slaugh- 

 ter facilities located within the city 

 limits is in securing permanent approv- 

 al for such location. City administra- 

 tions do change and likewise their 

 policies. 



However, there are two distinct ad- 

 vantages that slaughter plant operations 

 have over farm slaughtering — con- 

 venience and sanitation. 



Uncontrolled slaughtering on the 

 farm for locker plants also results in 

 high and low volume periods. This 

 often results in inefficient locker plant 

 operations. Where a locker association 

 operates a slaughter plant and provides 

 trucks for transportation from the farm 

 it is possible to regulate to some degree 

 the flow of animals into the locker plant. 

 A regulated volume can thus be moved 

 through the locker processing room. 



The added facilities for slaughtering 

 that have been built so far by Illinois 

 cooperatives range in cost from $2500 

 to $5300. 



Thomas Buggies, potron, delivers an ani- 

 mal for slaughter to the Hancock Frozen 

 Foods Co-op, and Manager Melvin Lath- 

 row makes a record oi the receipt. 



Right wing oi thb Hancock Frozen Foods 

 Co-op houses a slaughter plant 18 feet 



wide and 30 ieet long. 

 built at a cost oi $2300. 



Th 



e 'Wing 



This building 56 ieet long and 20 Ieet wide 

 is the Henry County Service slaughter 



The $5500 slaughter plant is a build- 

 ing approximately 20 by 50 feet built of 

 cement blocks. Hogs and cattle move 

 into the plant from ample pens equipped 

 with an unloading chute. Just inside the 

 building is a killing pen. One-third of 

 the building at this end is used for kill- 

 ing, skinning, cleaning, etc. Ample 

 overhead tracks are provided for mov- 

 ing the carcasses to any part of the 

 building. Power hoists are used for lift- 

 ing the animals or carcasses up to the 

 overhead tracks. The middle third of 

 the buildirsg is used for processing and 

 houses refrigeration machinery, boiler 

 and other equipment. Remainder of the 

 building is divided into two parts, both 

 refrigerated. One room is used for 

 chilling carcasses and the other for cur- 

 ing hides. 



In order to keep a slaughter plant 

 clean and sanitary it is important to 

 have concrete floors in the building and 

 pens. Floors must have a proper slope 

 to numerous large drains. Essential 

 equipment therefore includes killing 

 pen, overhead track and hoist, blood col- 



plant at Cambridge. Complete 

 eluding equipment was $5500. 



cost in- 



lector, scalding tank, cleaning rack for 

 hogs, scales, boiler, ice machinery and 

 work tables. Smaller equipment consists 

 of butcher tools, gambles, etc. 



What does it cost a farmer patron who 

 brings hogs or cattle into his slaughter 

 plant for the butchering services pro- 

 vided? 



What are the charges for the butcher- 

 ing services? While there is some vari- 

 ation from plant to plant, the average 

 charges p>er animal are as follows: beef, 

 300 pounds or over, dressed weight, 

 $2.50; hogs, $1.25; hogs over 300 

 pounds, live weight, $1.50; veal calves, 

 $1, and lamb, $1. 



Do locker plant associations find 

 operations of slaughter facilities success- 

 ful? Albert Metternich, vice-president 

 of the Hancock Frozen Foods Co-op, says 

 that farmer patrons definitely appreciate 

 the new service. They especially like to 

 have the locker plant do the job of 

 butchering because it lightens the chores 

 at home. Locker plants providing such 

 facilities also realize additional revenue 

 from custom slaughtering. 



OCTOBER, 1944 



17 



