This is not really a 'Build It Yourself' topic, more like 'Butcher It Yourself'... but there just ain't a specific forum covering this particular topic....
Before the sun broke over the barn roof in the background, we had this one dropped and partially undressed (for the non-hunters among us) or partially dressed (for the hunters among us) whichever you prefer.
The breast bone has to be cut while laying on its back to prevent cutting open the internal stuff. If that happens, it gets kinda smelly and real messy real quick. Plus you get yelled at by everybody....
The tail has to be skinned out for the upcoming 'ox tail soup' recipe and the exit opening for the internals has to be cut loose and tied securely. (How's that for dancing around the subject?).... We used to use baler twine, but recently have been using zip ties.
The hide on the backsides of the front legs are left intact so when elevating they are kept out of the dirt.
With the sun beginning to top the barn, this ole gal is just about ready to spill her guts into the loader bucket...
Now anybody that says our buddy, Dozer Dave, doesn't 'get into his work' can just be proven wrong with this shot. Either that or he dropped his bifocals at an inopportune time.
That old 2x6 'evener' the beef is hanging on is the same one we've used since before I was born. No idea how many have been hung with this setup.
We used to have a huge rope-block (&tackle) hung out the end of the old barn and we'd raise and lower them with the pulling end tied to the front of an old MH 101 Jr. From the time I could reach both the clutch AND brake Dad would have me climb on the tractor to raise and/or lower as needed (using reverse) That block and tackle had either a 7/8" or 1" rope threaded through it.
What a fine crew we got here....Nephew Andrew on the saw, SIL Mike on the right and good ol' Dozer Dave in the background. The not so photogenic much older brother is behind be with an axe doing brain surgery and tongue retrieval. He's got an old buddy that gets the brains every year.
The meat saw is an auction find of mine from a few years back. A cool hundred bucks and worth a whole lot more !!
Just for a little perspective....the first and second were 1140 and 1150 lbs, the third was 740. The much older brother and his brood plus ol' Dave divvy up the two big ones, and me and my little family always go for the smaller. (I think mine are always more lean and that's what we prefer)...plus me and my bride only have three families to divide it into.
Fast forward to the end result and here's all three hanging in the cooler, livers, hearts, oxtails and brains et al. Well, the brains are in an ice cream bucket. All in all it was a good day, only one went to the hospital driven by the much older brother and left myself, Dozer Dave and Mike the SIL to do the third one.
Clarification is required here.... it wasn't a knife gash or any blood at all that required an emergency room visit. It seems kidney stones are really painful to my nephew. We all got a good laugh AFTER we found out he really wasn't dying at all. He wasn't so sure though....