Poultry slaughter Flashcards
Why are some chicken stunned then shackled and others shackled then stunned?
- Depends on processing system
- If gassed they are stunned then shackled
What processes must be performed by someone with a COC?
- Handling animals before restraining
- Restraining them for stunning/ killing
- Stunning animals
- Checking successful stun
- Shackling/ hoisting
- Bleeding live animals
- Religious slaughter
- Pithing stunned animal
- Checking successful pithing
What is the role of an animal welfare officer?
- Must identify animals that require slaughter first
- Welfare needs
- Any measures that need to be put in place to improve animal welfare (e.g. temperature control)
- Keep record of actions taken to improve welfare
Which plants don’t need an AWO?
-Smaller ones with less than 1,000 animal units a year
What must you keep in consideration when birds are in lairage or shackling?
Lairage: avoid long waiting (DOAs) - Ventilation -Temperature -Humidity Shackling -Are they dead or alive? -Inversion and shackling of birds can be painful make sure they are correctly set up for the species.
What stunning methods are used on poultry?
Electrical and gas
What is important about the duration of unconsciousness?
Must be longer than time taken to cut neck and bleed to allow brain death (+ 15 seconds)
What are the basic requirements for electrical stunning?
- Water bath voltage sufficient to ensure that every bird receives minimum current
- Electrode placed in water bath MUST extend entire length of bath
Good contact between legs of birds and shackle line
-Birds heads MUST be immersed completely - Water should NOT overflow entrance to the bath
How does electrical stunning work?
- 1 electrode in water bath and 1 on the rail attached to shackles to increase conductivity
What does an effective electrical stun in poultry look like?
- Loss of nicitating reflex
- No rhythmic breathing
- Constant rapid body tremors
- Wings held tightly against body
What are the issues with electric stunning?
- Requires shackling of conscious birds (painful??)
- Some birds not stunned correctly (too small to reach water)
- Can get pre stun shocks on wings tips (welfare ??)
- Voltage issues in the water bath (if very long may not distribute evenly throughout tank)
What are the methods for atmosphere gas stunning?
- Anoxia (no oxygen): 100% Ag or N)
- Hypercapnic hypoxia (high Co2, low O2)
- Hyperapnic anoxia (High Co2, no O2)
- 2 phase (high Co2, high O2 then high Co2 in air)- anaesthetic phase then euthanasia phase
What are the advantages of controlled atmosphere stunning?
- Controlled gas atmosphere
- No live shackling
- All birds stunned
- Improved working conditions at shackling point
What are the disadvantages of gas stunning?
- Initial aversion (unpleasantness/ pain??)
- Dyspnoea
- Identification of DOAs/ gassed
How do you distinguish between gassed birds and DOAs?
-DOAs= cold to touch, often dirtier, rigor mortis
