Editing Butcher (section)

==Duties==
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 | footer = Left: Relief of cutting up cattle, [[Saqqara]], Egypt, 24th century BC; Right: A butcher (14th century)
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Butchery is a traditional line of work. In the industrialized world, slaughterhouses use butchers to slaughter the animals, performing one or a few of the steps repeatedly as specialists on a semi-automated disassembly line. The steps include stunning (rendering the animal incapacitated), [[exsanguination]] (severing the [[carotid]] or [[brachial artery|brachial arteries]] to facilitate blood removal), skinning (removing the hide or pelt) or scalding and dehairing (pork), evisceration (removing the [[viscera]]) and splitting (dividing the carcass in half [[Sagittal plane|longitudinally]]).

After the carcasses are [[Refrigeration|chilled]] (unless "hot-boned"), primary butchery consists of selecting carcasses, sides, or quarters from which [[primal cut]]s can be produced with the minimum of wastage; separating the primal cuts from the carcass; trimming primal cuts and preparing them for secondary butchery or sale; and storing cut meats. Secondary butchery involves boning, trimming and value-adding of primal cuts in preparation for sale. Historically, primary and secondary butchery were performed in the same establishment, but the advent of methods of preservation ([[vacuum packing]]) and low cost transportation has largely separated them.

In parts of the world, it is common for butchers to perform many or all of the butcher's duties. Where refrigeration is less common, these skills are required to sell the meat of slaughtered animals.