Stunning and Slaughter 1

Question 1

effectiveness of stunning

Answer 1

• exam question

- learn

Question 2

Restraint methods

Answer 2

• shackes
• roping
• box with trap door
• carried along little conveyer belt

Question 3

Things to consider with pre-slaughter in other countires

Answer 3

• costs

- electricity supply

Question 4

Is restraint good for welfare?

Answer 4

• yes allows more effective stunning

- can overrestrain (esp halal etc.)

Question 5

Considerations for stunning boxes

Answer 5

• no holes at bottom of doors (encourages heads to be put down, more difficult to stun)
• flooring
• chains
• screws and hinges on side of race
• distractions
• reflections

Question 6

Stun to bleeding period - aims?

Answer 6

Short as poss

- to minimise risk of coming round

Question 7

Stunning methods

Answer 7

• electrical
• penetrative captive bolt (will kill)
• non-penetrative captive bolt
• gas stunning

Question 8

Slaughter methods

Answer 8

• sticking or neck cutting
• cardiac arrest
• decpactiation
• neck dislocation (careful)
• free bullet
• maceration (male DOC)
• free bullet
• gas stunning (poultry)

Question 9

Euhanasia methods

Answer 9

• lethal injection
• free bullet
• penetrative captive bolt AND PITHING (‘fiddling’)
• anaesthetic inhalation
• cardion dioxide
• carbon monoxide
• neck dislocation

Question 10

4 main forms of stunning

Answer 10

• head only electric stunning
• percussive stunning
• electrical waterbath stunning
• gas stunning

Question 11

captive bolt used for… species?

Answer 11

• cattle mainly
• sometimes sheep, claves, horses
• casues severe convulsions in pigs (not used)
• instantaneous enconciousness and usually irreversible if done correctly (but legally need a killing method aswell as slightly different aim wont kill)

Question 12

Sources of energy in captive bolt guns?

Answer 12

• cartidges

- compressed air

Question 13

do you need a fire arms license to use a captive bolt?

Answer 13

NO! (as a vet)

• other people need slaughtermans licence
• unless welfare case emergency then can use anything

Question 14

are touch powered (ie non trigger) captive guns easy to use?

Answer 14

• NO high margin for error
• more powerful than trigger powered
• slaughter men get good at using

Question 15

are non-penetrative captive bolt used for cattle?

Answer 15

• no
• even halal now don’t really use
• can cause damage to animal
• less effective at stunning

Question 16

Signs of effective captive bolt stun

Answer 16

• immediate collapse with HL flexed
• tonic
• immediate loss rhythmic breathing
• immediate loss corneal and palpebral reflex
• no eyeball rotation (but eyeball rotation wanted for slaughter without stunning)
• relaxed jaw and musecle tone
• no righting reflex (cf. just muscle spasm of head) coordinated limb movement too
• convulsive kicking (clonic phase)

Question 17

Where should cows and pigs be shot?

Answer 17

• cows cross between eyes and cows
• pigs between eyes
  > towards tail (aim brainstem)

Question 18

What weight of pig may need a shotgun?

Answer 18

> 60-80kg

Question 19

Where should sheep and horses be shot?

Answer 19

• sheep behind horns back of head aim slightly forward
• non horned slightly more rostral (highest point of the head) aim down
• horses cross between eyes and ears 2cm above

Question 20

Where should you stand when shooting an animal?

Answer 20

Not in front

• side
• touching head

Question 21

What can go wrong with captive bolt?

Answer 21

• clogged up
• don’t clean with water
• not too much gun oil
• bolt can split -> projectile

Question 22

RIsks of shooting back of head

Answer 22

may miss brain and hit SC -> paralysed but not unconscious

Question 23

Where should head only electrical stunning be directly? What other kind of stunning is available?

Answer 23

• between eyes and ears to go across brain

- head to body inducing cardiac arrest as a kill method available

Question 24

What does electrical stunning cause to induce unconsciousness?

Answer 24

• rapid depolarisation of the membrane -> synchronous activity
• EEG waveform == grand mal seizure (though they don’t always physciallly seizure)
• progress to quiet phase of EEG where minimal electrical activity seen
• may come round again after this phase

Question 25

Duration of unconsciousness induced by head only electrical stunning

Answer 25

60-70s, in some cases 30s

• BLEED QUICK takes 14s to stun from when the neck is cut

Question 26

Which vessels need to be severed in the neck cut?

Answer 26

carotids needed to be cut
+ vertebral arteries in cattle
* not just jugular takes 5mins to die from this!!!*
sheep go quicker