14 BULLETIiSr 1089, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



extent by thorough cleanliness. In cold weather it is out of th< 

 question to wash carcasses, and therefore the greatest care must b' 

 used to keep them free from dirt. The man who does the butcher 

 ing should handle nothing but the carcass. Where proper slaughter 

 houses are available and animals are butchered before severe cok 

 weather, portions of the carcass may be washed if running wate: 

 and a brush are used. Cloths and a bucket of water should neve 

 be used, on account of the danger of spreading molds from one car 

 cass to another. Special care must be taken to avoid contaminating 

 the interior of the carcass with contents of the stomach, which ar|l 

 apt to regurgitate up the gullet, since it is probable that the foor 

 contains the spores of molds. The gullet should be tied as a precau 

 tionary measure. ' jj| 



A most important point in the prevention of molds is to keep th' 

 frozen carcasses at a uniform temperature, to give the molds n< 

 chance to grow. With fluctuating temperatures in the cold-storagji 

 room, molds gain rapid headway and the meat soon spoils. Further' 

 more, alternate thawing and freezing injures the cells and thereby 

 lowers the quality of the meat. 



Plides should be left on the carcasses intended for shipment out o| 

 Alaska. Skinned carcasses are much more likely to mold and als 

 to lose their color and to shrink more in weight. When the hide 

 left on, the brisket is frequently left closed and the pelvis need no' 

 be split. If the brisket is not split the carcasses pack together mucl 

 better. One point w^hich must be kept in mind in this connection 

 however, is that the animal heat does not leave the body as quickh 

 when the carcass is not skinned or completely opened. Eeindeer hai;, 

 is an excellent nonconductor and prevents the heat from leaving thfi 

 body ver}'^ rapidly. Hence, cold storage should be available to coo 

 the animals as soon as possible after slaughter in summer. Cold 

 storage rooms should be disinfected at intervals. Information re 

 ceived from the meat inspection division of the Bureau of Anima 

 Industry indicates that strong hot brine applied to the walls of 

 storage room is very efficacious in keeping down molds. 



Bucks should never be killed for food, as the meat has an obje 

 tionable odor and taste and spoils easily. Some bucks have beej 

 killed for marketing, but the practice is an indication of carelessnes 

 and bad management, especially where the killing is done late in th 

 year, or after the rutting season has begun. If bucks are to b 

 slaughtered they should be castrated just prior to this period, o 

 about the middle of August. The animals will then fatten and b 

 in condition to kill later in the season and will not have the strong 

 odor and taste. 



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