Namaste dear friends,here is an interesting read on how to "slay" a victim at the sacrifice.

Turn the animal's feet northwards. Make its eyes go to the Sun, dismiss its breath to the wind, its life to the air, its hearing to the directions, its body to the earth. In this way he(Hotr) connects it with these world. Take of the entire skin without cutting it. Before opening the navel tear out the omentum. Stop its breathing within (by stopping its mouth). Thus the Hotr puts breath in the animals. Make of its breast a piece like an eagle, of its arms (two pieces like) two hatchets, of its forearms (two pieces like) two spikes, of its shoulders (two pieces like) two kashyapas (tortoises), its loins should be unbroken (entire); make of its thighs (two pieces like) two shields, of the two kneepans (two pieces like) two oleander leaves; take out its twenty-six ribs according to their order; preserve every limb of its in its integrity. Thus he benefits all its limbs. Dig a ditch in the earth to hide its excrements.
Link: http://books.google.co.in/books?id=K...tareya&f=false

Now,how the heck would one take off the entire skin of the animal without cutting it?. How can we make breasts(the softest part) in shape of an eagle? How do we make the shoulders like tortoises?

I'm starting to think that the Vedic sacrifices were purely symbolical.