Humane and Proper Butchering?

[reniwqwil5]

Hi all, I started my game with the scenario where you get a leashed ram. I tried to kill it as fast as I could by stabbing its skull with the kaumolais spear, and it took like 5 tries before it finally died. It was knocked unconscious with the first strike, so I shouldn't feel too bad (also it's a game), however I found it kind of sad that it took so much. In the end, I got a rough skin, despite landing several precise blows to the skull, so I'm disappointed with that as well.

What I'm basically asking, is how I can safely, cleanly and efficiently kill an animal? Should I have gone for the heart instead? Or maybe use a blunt weapon?

[PALU]

Humane treatment of animals is a rather modern concept (which doesn't mean deliberate cruelty is desirable).

There are several more or less conflicting goals here:
- Kill it with as little suffering as possible: Should probably be done by getting it unconscious as quickly as possible, either through a hit to the head (that actually hits the head), or massive bleeding. Once unconscious it probably doesn't feel anything.
- Get as good quality fur as possible: Blunt attacks to the head. Misses will cause less damage to the fur than stabbing/slashing does. It probably takes longer than using something that also causes bleeding, though.
- Get as much weapon skill training as possible: blunt attacks from the weapon you want to train, aiming for the head. You should probably use as light a weapon in that category to get as many attacks as possible before the animal dies.
- Also note that aimed melee attacks automatically hit the targeted body part when the target is unconscious. This is not the case with missiles.

The quality of a fur depends on:
- The quality of the carcass. If damaged too much one or several skin qualities cannot be achieved, and a low quality carcass probably means a lower chance to get good results within the possible range.
- Your character's effective skill, i.e. Hideworking with subtractions from fatigue and encumbrance. Drop everything carried and wait until the fatigue is zero if trying to get as good a result as possible.
- Tool type and quality. A stone knife limits the maximum possible skin quality, while a broad knife adds a bonus. Higher quality tools provides a higher bonus. I'm not sure I remember correctly, but I think a normal quality broad knife allows for a masterworks result, while any other kind of normal knife (i.e. not a stone knife) has to be at least fine.

Thus, your skin can be of a poor quality because of a carcass in poor condition, low effective skill, or poor/unsuitable tools. Also note that each step of the process runs the risk of getting a poorer outcome that you could have gotten, degrading the quality of the result. However, I think a sufficient skill will prevent the worst outcomes unless the tools/input items drag it down.

[MrMotorhead]

I have had this same sort of trouble.  If memory serves I had a character injured while trying to butcher a pig.  This incident turned into a life or death struggle.

I think a change to the game would make some sense.  While I am no expert in killing and butchering large animals, it seems to me that if a rope can be placed around an animal's neck, it could be killed in manner with very little risk.

Right now the less risky way to kill a tame animal is to tie it to a tree, gather a large pile of stones and throw them at the animal until it dies.

[koteko]

Generally when it's leashed, I go with a hunting/broad knife to the neck. It usually dies immediately and it's also quite realistic. Another interesting option could be to get your hands on a mace. I think a mace hit on the head might make it unconscious immediately - a club, less likely so.

Make sure you are not encumbered / tired so your hit has a higher chance of.. hitting.

[JP_Finn]

FWIW, butchering pigs with bolt gun (which is designed to penetrate the pigs’ skull with rapidly advancing bolt/rod and kill the animal instantly) still sometimes fails in its task and second application is needed. Cutting jugular takes a moment for the brain to get depraved of oxygen. Most native/tribal/aboriginal butcherings collect the blood. It’s highly nutritious. And when made into sausage with some lard and rye flour, tasty with lingonberry jam.

Fast ethical kill is always preferred; less likely for the animal to run off bleeding.
I doubt ancient times folks cared about the suffering of game/domestic, but they’d want the animal dead, with minimal damage to the hide. Which coincides perfectly with fast ethical kill.

I haven’t butchered domestic animals not a long time in game, but if memory serves; attacking leashed&held animal resulted in assured hit as with unconscious/stealth. That could’ve changed.

[PALU]

Unfortunately, damage to the neck results in damage to the skin, while damage to the head does not.