Excerpts from the report: The slaughtering industry, usually has used one basic system to perform killing floor operations--the bed-type system. This system requires manual performance of most operations. In recent years new systems designed around complex and mechanized equipment have been developed. The purpose of this study is to compare the relative efficiency of the bed system and two of the newer systems and to develop a layout for each system that provides for maximum operating efficiency. Comparisons are based on a plant handling 50,000 cattle annually and slaughtering at the rate of 24 head per hour. Because the weights of cattle slaughtered materially affect the labor and equipment requirements, the assumed dressed weights are 500-700 pounds. Research was conducted on cattle killing floors in 14 slaughtering plants in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas, and covered most basic variables affecting labor and equipment requirements.