Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T23:26:59.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The evaluation of two commercial electric sheep stunning systems: current applied and the effect on heart function

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

F Orford ,
EA Ford ,
SN Brown ,
J McKinstry ,
PJ Hadley ,
JA Lines ,
TG Knowles  and
SB Wotton
F Orford
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
EA Ford
Affiliation:
AHDB Beef & Lamb, The Baron Suite, Creech Castle, Bathpool, Taunton TA1 2DX, UK
SN Brown
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
J McKinstry
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
PJ Hadley
Affiliation:
AHDB Beef & Lamb, The Baron Suite, Creech Castle, Bathpool, Taunton TA1 2DX, UK
JA Lines
Affiliation:
Silsoe Livestock Systems Ltd, Silsoe, Bedford MK45 4HS, UK
TG Knowles
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
SB Wotton*
Affiliation:
School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The maintenance of head-only minimum stunning currents for sheep to ≥ 1.0 Amp as per current legislation was examined in two trials in a commercial abattoir. In the first trial, a Jetco MS100 stunner failed to maintain the current to > 1.0 Amp in 118 of the 228 sheep. In a second trial, a Jetco MS105 delivered sufficient current in all sheep (n = 275) to meet the legislative requirement, apart from a single animal. Recorded electrocardiograms showed a regular heartbeat, with no evidence of ventricular fibrillation, in all animals in both trials following stunning and neck-cut. Only one of the two stun units may therefore be considered to meet the statutory requirements but both may meet the requirements for halal slaughter where pre-stun is considered acceptable.

Keywords

animal welfareelectrical stunningelectrocardiogramhalalsheepvoltage current
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , August 2016 , pp. 331 - 337
Copyright
© 2016 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Altman, D, Machin, D, Bryant, TN and Gardner, MJ 2000 Statistics with Confidence, Second Edition. British Medical Journal Books: UKGoogle Scholar
Cook, CJ, Devine, CE, Gilbert, KV, Smith, DD and Maasland, SA 1995 The effect of electrical head-only stun duration on elec-troencephalographic-measured seizure and brain amino acid neu-rotransmitter release. Meat Science 40(2): 137–147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0309-1740(94)00043-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, CJ, Maasland, SA, Devine, CE, Gilbert, KV and Blackmore, DK 1996 Changes in the release of amino acid neurotransmitters in the brains of calves and sheep after head-only electrical stunning and throat cutting. Research in Veterinary Science 60(3): 255–261. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0034-5288(96)90050-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Council Regulation (EC) 2009 No 1099/2009 of 24 September 2009 on the protection of animals at the time of killing. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:303:0001:0030:EN:PDFGoogle Scholar
EFSA 2004 Welfare aspects of the main systems of stunning and killing the main commercial species of animals. The EFSA Journal 45: 52Google Scholar
Fuseini, A, Knowles, TG, Lines, JA and Wotton, SB 2016 The stun-ning and slaughter of cattle within the EU: A review of the current situ-ation with regard to the halal market. Animal Welfare 25: 365–376. http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/09627286.25.3.365CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG 1998 Animal Welfare and Meat Science. CABI Publishing: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Gregory, NG and Wotton, SB 1984 Sheep slaughtering procedures. 3. Head to back electrical stunning. British Veterinary Journal 140: 570–575. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0007-1935(84)90008-3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
HSA Guidance Notes 2000 Electrical Stunning of Red Meat Animals, Guidance Notes No 4, Guidance on the use of electrical stun-ning equipment including electrical theory, restraint, effective stunning, bleeding and safety. HSA: Wheathampstead, UKGoogle Scholar
Sparrey, JM and Wotton, SB 1997 The design of pig stunning tong electrodes: a review. Meat Science 47(12): 125–133. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(97)00047-8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Velarde, A, Ruiz-de-la Torre, JL, Stub, C, Diestre, A and Manteca, X 2000 Factors affecting the effectiveness of head-only electrical stunning in sheep. Veterinary Record 147(2): 40–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/vr.147.2.40CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Velarde, A, Ruiz-de-la Torre, JL, Rosello, F, Fabrega, E, Diestre, A and Manteca, X 2002 Assessment of return to consciousness after electrical stunning in lambs. Animal Welfare 11(3): 333–341Google Scholar
Warriss, PD and Wotton, SB 1981 The effect of cardiac arrest on exsanguination in pigs. Research in Veterinary Science 31: 82–86CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
WATOK 2015 The Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing (England) Regulations 2015. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/1782/contents/madeGoogle Scholar
Weirich, J, Hohnloser, S and Antoni, H 1983 Factors deter-mining the susceptibility of the isolated guinea pig heart to ven-tricular fibrillation induced by sinusoidal alternating current at fre-quencies from 1 to 1000Hz. Basic Research in Cardiology 78: 604–616. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01907207CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wotton, SB and O’Callaghan, M 2002 Electrical stunning of pigs: the effect of applied voltage on impedance to current flow and the operation of a fail-safe device. Meat Science 60(2): 203–208. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0309-1740(01)00122-XCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed