Pre-mortem
It is important to ‘empty out’ the animal(s) for at least 24 hours before slaughter. Do this by preventing access to any water or food. I have a concrete pad in a pen. If you don’t empty the animal out you risk getting urine, faeces or stomach contents on the meat as the animal is gutted. It’s a good idea to do a visual check of the animal too, to see if there is anything wrong with it.