Welfare at Sluaghter

Question 1

What is slaughter

Answer 1

The killing of animals by bleeding

Question 2

What compromised WaS?

Answer 2

• Transport to slaughter
• Lairage – housing at slaughter house
• Ante-mortem evaluation – management or by vets and how these can help or cause problems to welfare
• Stunning and bleeding
• Post-mortem evaluation – slaughter process and life on farm or transport

Question 3

What are the 5 freedoms?

Answer 3

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst
2. FF discomfort
3. FF pain, injury or disease
4. F to express normal animal behaviour
5. FF fear and distress

Question 4

Rules animals must have in LAIRAGE

Answer 4

1. water ad lib
2. Food more than 12 hrs
3. space to lie down
4. don’t mix those that may harm eachother
5. temperature control
6. Sticks = extension of hand

Question 5

What does the lairage inspection matrix look out for

Answer 5

animal welfare, animal health, public health

Question 6

What enforcement agency at:
farm
slaughterhouse
Transport
markets

Answer 6

Farm = APHA
Slaughterhouse - FSA, OV
Transport and markets = trading standards

Question 7

Purpose of stunning

Answer 7

Render animal immediately insensible to pain

to be killed by bleeding out

Question 8

Phases of stunning

Answer 8

a. Tonic phase (very short in pigs)
i. When animal gets immobilised and stiff
b. Clonic phase – involuntary kicking movements

c. Recovery - hopefully not! If stunning not effective or bleeding out not soon enough then recovery happens

Question 9

Methods of stunning

Answer 9

Mechanical (percussive) force/ captive bolt
Electrical
Chemical (gaseous)

Question 10

Signs animal has been stunned (rendered unconscious) effectively?

Answer 10

1. Animal Collapses (tonic and Clonic phases)
2. Rhythmic breathing STOPS
3. Fixed, glazed expression
4. No corneal reflex
5. Relaxed jaw, possibly with tongue hanging out

Question 11

Cattle Stunning position

Answer 11

1. Crossing point between
2. Centre of base of opposite horns
3. Eyes
4. Stunner held at right angle to skill - bolt directed towards brainstem

Question 12

Sheep stunning position if polled

Answer 12

Highest point of head
on midline
Aim straight down

Question 13

Sheep stunning position if horned

Answer 13

Midline
behind ridge
between horns
aim towards base of tongue

Question 14

Pig stunning position

Answer 14

20mm above eye level
midline of forehead
aim towards tail

Question 15

Pig stunning position

Answer 15

20mm above eye level
midline of forehead
aim towards tail

Question 16

Horse stunning position

Answer 16

1. Middle of forehead
2. Draw lines from eyes to opposite ears
3. 10 mm above crossing point
4. bolt directed through upper brain towards brain stem

Question 17

What are horses mostly stunned with?

Answer 17

FREE BULLET - single shot in brain, immediate death
Dangerous as bolt can come out ricochet off solid walls and floors
Captive bolt Rarely used - fires retractable bolt against head making unconscious. Followed by bleeding or pithing

Question 18

Electrical stunning

Answer 18

1. sending an electric current through the brain and/or heart of the animal before slaughter.
2. makes unconscious
3. sometimes animal made wet to increase conductivity

Question 19

Electrical stunning

Answer 19

1. sending an electric current through the brain and/or heart of the animal before slaughter.
2. makes unconscious
3. sometimes animal made wet to increase condutivity

Question 20

Gas stunning

Answer 20

1. diff types:
   a) CO2 high conc
   b) CO2 in 2 pahses
   c) CO2 assocaited with inert gases
   d) inert gases more welfare friendly by expensive
   e) vacuum or nitrogen (poultry only)

Question 21

Why use CO2 for gas stunning

Answer 21

• heavier than air
• cheap
• may induce unpleasant effects as is irritant

Question 22

What type of stunning used for depopulation and how

Answer 22

Gas stunning by use of CO2 in 2 phases

Used for infection outbreaks - seal houses on site and pump with gas