The job of a butcher is to supervise the slaughter of the most common livestock species and birds for human consumption. The butcher is responsible for the execution and management of specialized tasks such as anesthesia, killing, skinning, trimming and processing of slaughter products.
A butcher must also be able to organize the transport and reception of slaughter animals to the slaughterhouse in accordance with laws concerning animal protection, safety, quality, hygiene and disease control.