Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering
Description
The Animal Except Poultry Slaughtering industry encompasses establishments dedicated to the processing of livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and horses into consumable meat products. These facilities perform the critical initial step of rendering live animals safe and edible through systematic slaughter and basic preparation. Typical business activities involve stunning, bleeding, dressing, and trimming carcasses to ensure sanitary standards meet federal regulations before further distribution or secondary processing. Operators range from independent small family farms processing limited quantities on-site to large industrial complexes employing thousands of workers. These operations often function as part of a larger supply chain, supplying meatpacking firms for further processing into products like sausages or ground beef, or selling directly to wholesale distributors and retailers. The scale of these businesses varies significantly, with many modern slaughterhouses utilizing high-speed automated lines capable of processing hundreds of animals daily, while smaller facilities maintain more manual methods. The scope extends beyond the killing phase to include immediate hygiene treatments and initial grading, laying the groundwork for the broader food manufacturing sector that follows in converting raw cuts into shelf-stable goods or ready-to-cook meals.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 311 | Food Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Food Manufacturing subsector transform livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. The industry groups are distinguished by the raw materials (generally of animal or vegetable origin) processed into food products. The food products manufactured in these establishments are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers, but establishments primarily engaged in retailing bakery and candy products made on the premises not for immediate consumption are included. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing beverages are classified in Subsector 312, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing. |
| 3116 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing 4-digit industry group | Industries in the Food Manufacturing subsector transform livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. The industry groups are distinguished by the raw materials (generally of animal or vegetable origin) processed into food products. The food products manufactured in these establishments are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers, but establishments primarily engaged in retailing bakery and candy products made on the premises not for immediate consumption are included. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing beverages are classified in Subsector 312, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing. |
| 31161 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) slaughtering animals; (2) preparing processed meats and meat byproducts; and (3) rendering and/or refining animal fat, bones, and meat scraps. This industry includes establishments primarily engaged in assembly cutting and packing of meats (i.e., boxed meats) from purchased carcasses. |
| 311611 | Animal (except Poultry) Slaughtering 6-digit U.S. detail | The Animal Except Poultry Slaughtering industry encompasses establishments dedicated to the processing of livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and horses into consumable meat products. These facilities perform the critical initial step of rendering live animals safe and edible through systematic slaughter and basic preparation. Typical business activities involve stunning, bleeding, dressing, and trimming carcasses to ensure sanitary standards meet federal regulations before further distribution or secondary processing. Operators range from independent small family farms processing limited quantities on-site to large industrial complexes employing thousands of workers. These operations often function as part of a larger supply chain, supplying meatpacking firms for further processing into products like sausages or ground beef, or selling directly to wholesale distributors and retailers. The scale of these businesses varies significantly, with many modern slaughterhouses utilizing high-speed automated lines capable of processing hundreds of animals daily, while smaller facilities maintain more manual methods. The scope extends beyond the killing phase to include immediate hygiene treatments and initial grading, laying the groundwork for the broader food manufacturing sector that follows in converting raw cuts into shelf-stable goods or ready-to-cook meals. |
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Classification References
- 01Processing meat and meat byproducts (except poultry and small game) from purchased meats--are classified in U.S. Industry 311612, Meat Processed from Carcasses;
- 02Slaughtering and/or processing poultry and small game--are classified in U.S. Industry 311615, Poultry Processing;
- 03Rendering lard and other animal fats and oils, bones, and meat scraps--are classified in U.S. Industry 311613, Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing; and
- 04Manufacturing canned and frozen specialty foods containing meat, such as nationality foods (e.g., enchiladas, egg rolls, pizza) and frozen dinners--are classified in Industry Group 3114, Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing.
Index Items
Abattoirs
Animal fats (except poultry and small game) produced in slaughtering plants
Bacon, slab and sliced, produced in slaughtering plants
Beef carcasses, half carcasses, primal and sub-primal cuts, produced in slaughtering plants
Beef produced in slaughtering plants
Boxed beef produced in slaughtering plants
Boxed meats produced in slaughtering plants
Canned meats (except poultry) produced in slaughtering plants
Cured hides and skins produced in slaughtering plants
Custom slaughtering
Fats, animal (except poultry, small game), produced in slaughtering plants
Hams (except poultry) produced in slaughtering plants
Hides and skins produced in slaughtering plants
Horsemeat produced in slaughtering plants
Hot dogs (except poultry) produced in slaughtering plants
Inedible products (e.g., hides, skins, pulled wool, wool grease) produced in slaughtering plants
Lamb carcasses, half carcasses, primal and sub-primal cuts, produced in slaughtering plants
Lard produced in slaughtering plants
Luncheon meat (except poultry) produced in slaughtering plants
Meat canning (except poultry) produced in slaughtering plants
Meats fresh, chilled or frozen (except poultry and small game), produced in slaughtering plants
Meats, cured or smoked, produced in slaughtering plants
Pork carcasses, half carcasses, and primal and sub-primal cuts produced in slaughtering plants
Sausage casings, natural, produced in slaughtering plant
Slaughtering, custom
Tallow produced in a slaughtering plant
Variety meats, edible organs, made in slaughtering plants
Veal carcasses, half carcasses, primal and sub-primal cuts, produced in slaughtering plants
How Item Can Help
WMS optimizes the handling of diverse carcass and byproduct storage by tracking temperature-sensitive items in real-time, reducing spoilage rates during high-volume processing cycles.
TMS coordinates the timely delivery of perishable inputs to slaughter facilities and logistics the cold-chain transport of finished goods, ensuring regulatory compliance and freshness.
Analyzes historical processing volumes and supplier lead times to predict demand fluctuations, enabling dynamic staffing and just-in-time inventory ordering to minimize waste.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311611.
National Meat Association
A trade association representing the meatpacking industry including swine, beef, and pork producers.
USDA Economic Research Service
Government data and reports on the economics and production of meat animal products excluding poultry.
National Swine Producers Association
An industry association specifically focusing on the swine slaughter and processing segment.
