Humane Slaughter

Question 1

T/F

The definition of Humane Slaughter it to render the animal insensible to pain on first application of stunning after shackled, hoisted and bled

Answer 1

F

BEFORE shackled hoisted and bled

Question 2

The Humane Slaughter Act stipulated All _________ establishments must use humane methods to?

Answer 2

State and Federally inspected

handle animals in preparation for slaughter

and the act of slaughtering

Question 3

What is a ritual slaughter and which animal is exempt?

Answer 3

Kosher and Halal slaughters

poultry

Question 4

Can we import animals that have been slaughtered in any way outside of the US?

Answer 4

NO!! We can only import meat that have been humanely slaughtered

Question 5

What can the USDA secretary do?

Answer 5

Refuse to provide inspection to a federal facility OR

cause inspection to be temporarily suspended if unacceptable methods are used

Question 6

When can a U.S. Reject Tag be used? and where is it placed?

Answer 6

If inhumane incident occurs such as:

Incompetence of the employee in handling or driving livestock. They attach the tag to the alleyway leading to the stunning area

Improper Stunning-to the stunning area

Faulty equipment-to the defective equipment until repaired

Question 7

When should shackles be attached?

Answer 7

AFTER stunning

Question 8

What are the USDA approved methods for stunning?

who is exempt?

Answer 8

Captive bolts

gunshots

carbon dioxide

electric

Poultry from ritual slaughter

Question 9

What are the types of captive bolts?

Answer 9

Mechanical: penetrating vs non penetrating

Penetrating:
Gun powder
compressed air

Non penetrating: Mushroom head

Question 10

Which captive bolt is no longer allowed to be used in cattle and why?

Answer 10

Compressed air

bc it send brain tissue into the carcass possibly contaminating it with BSE

Question 11

How does the penetrating captive bolt induce unconsciousness

Answer 11

Destroys the cerebrum and leaves the brainstem intact so that the animals heart continues to beat to facilitate bleeding

it also causes brain damage secondary to sudden changes in ICP and concussion

Question 12

What are the 2 policies that the ____ implemented for BSE?

Answer 12

Prohibition of the pneumoatic bolt as air-injection into cranium could result in brain tissue entering the carcass

They altered the Federal Meat Inspection Regulations to designate Specified Risk Materials

ALL downer Cows be condemned regardless of reason

Question 13

What are your SRMs?

Answer 13

Cattle over 30 mo old:
Brain
Skull
Eyes
Trigeminal ganglia
Spinal Cord
DRG
Verterbral Colomn

All Cattle:
Tonsils
Distal Ileum of the SI

Question 14

What must the establishment have regarding SRMs

Answer 14

The must implement and maintain written procedures for the removal of SRMs in their establisments

Question 15

What animals can a gunshot be used for stunning and what is the humane way

Answer 15

Cattle
Calves
Sheep 
Goats
Swine
Horses
Mules

caliber of the gun must be such that a single shot of a bullet renders it immediately unconscious

Question 16

Someone tells you they used a gunshot method and is about to put the head through the slaughter process, what do you tell them?

Answer 16

The only part of that head that can be used for human food is the tongue.

Question 17

What animals are CO2 used in?

Answer 17

Swine
Sheep
Calves

Question 18

How much gas needs to be administered?

Answer 18

Enough that the animal is surgically anesthetized

Question 19

What is CO2 Slaughter?

and what animals is it approved for

Answer 19

When the animal remains the CO2 chamber until asphyxiation occurs

This is only approved for swine

Question 20

What are the advantages of using CO2 slaughter?

Answer 20

Reduction of PSE

Eliminates blood splattering

Eliminates broken bones/backs

Question 21

Who can electrical stunning be used on

Answer 21

Hogs*
Calves
Sheep
Goats
Ostriches
Poultry*

Question 22

Which stunning method does the animal need to be physically restrained?

Answer 22

Electrical

Question 23

What are your 2 types of stunning?

Answer 23

Head only

Head and Cardiac

Question 24

What does electrical stunning do?

Answer 24

Induces a gran mal seizure resulting in insensibility to pain causing surgical anesthesia

Question 25

Can you use any timing, voltage to stun?

Answer 25

No! The operator must control the timing and voltage so the animal is properly stunned

Question 26

What is a downfall to head only electrical stunning, what causes this?

Answer 26

Muscular hemorrhage
“blood splashing/speckling”

Too high an electrical current

Question 27

Why is it important to avoid delay between electrical stunning and bleeding?

Answer 27

The animal can regain consciousness on the rail

Promotes muscular hemorrhage

Question 28

What is an advantage of cardiac arrest electrical stunning?

Answer 28

No broken backs

Hemorrhages bc the deep stunning stops the blood circulation to the brain reducing blood splashing

Question 29

Why not just use cardiac arrest rather than head and cardiac?

Answer 29

Causes too much pain and not insensibility-violation.

You need to stun the head first or simultaneously

Question 30

How do you determine insensibility with a captive bolt?

Answer 30

the animal should collapse immediately

regular breathing should cease

no corneal reflex

Question 31

How do you determine insensibility with an electrically stunned animal

Answer 31

Instant unconsciousness then spasms that can last up to 30s
**don’t evaluate for insensibility until at least seconds after stunning

No vocalising

No righting reflex– but it is normal to have leg kicking reflexes

Question 32

What blood vessels are used for bleeding?

Answer 32

Jugular and carotid

death by cerebral anoxia