For the source text click/tap here: Chullin 28
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As we learned on yesterday’s daf, according to Rabbi Yehuda, beyond cutting the esophagus and trachea, sheḥita – ritual slaughter – also requires severing the veins in the neck. On our daf,Rav Ḥisda limits Rabbi Yehuda’s teaching to sheḥita performed on a bird, since a bird is often roasted whole. Larger animals, however, that are invariably cut into pieces, do not need to have their veins severed.
The Gemara concludes from this that Rabbi Yehuda’s ruling is not connected with sheḥita per se, so much as it is a response to a potential problem with blood becoming congealed in the body of the animal. Therefore, it is not essential that the veins be cut during the act of ritual slaughter, in fact it is sufficient if they are punctured after slaughter, as well.
We explore the hierarchy of trachea vs esophagus for slaughter comparing to late anti knowledge of life/death.