A pneumatic stunner for stunning an animal has a piston slideable within an inner chamber, and a stunning rod driven by the piston forward and rearward towards and away from the front end of the housing. The stunning rod has an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, with the forward end of the body having a two-radius configuration that is sized for striking an animal's head, and is adaptable for attaching a hardened tip. A valve system alternately controls flow of the pressurized fluid from a fire pressure chamber to the rearward end of the inner chamber to move the piston and drive the stunning rod forward to stun an animal, and from a return pressure chamber to the forward end of the inner chamber to move the piston and drive the stunning rod rearward and retract the stunning rod. The handle includes a cushioned mount adjustable in direction.

A pneumatic stunner for stunning an animal has a piston slideable within an inner chamber, and a stunning rod driven by the piston forward and rearward towards and away from the front end of the housing. The stunning rod has an elongated body having a longitudinal axis, with the forward end of the body having a two-radius configuration that is sized for striking an animal's head, and is adaptable for attaching a hardened tip. A valve system alternately controls flow of the pressurized fluid from a fire pressure chamber to the rearward end of the inner chamber to move the piston and drive the stunning rod forward to stun an animal, and from a return pressure chamber to the forward end of the inner chamber to move the piston and drive the stunning rod rearward and retract the stunning rod. The handle includes a cushioned mount adjustable in direction.

A device for controlling the anesthetization of an animal to be slaughtered. The device includes a stimulation unit via which a stimulation stimulus is given to the animal. The device includes an image capturing unit that has an image capturing range. The image capturing unit is constructed as a 3D-camera. One part of a surface of the animal is optically detected in the image capturing range and range pixels are collected in the area of the surface. The range pixels are provided and transmitted as pixel data. An evaluation unit is connected to the image capturing unit and collects the pixel data provided by the image capturing unit. The evaluation unit determines an active movement of the animal from the detected pixel data and provides and transmits the control result in the event of a determined movement of the animal.

The present disclosure generally relates to a method for humanely slaughtering animals, and more particularly to a method for slaughtering animals using a low atmospheric pressure system with or without the addition of inert gas. In particular, the animals are placed into a chamber, the chamber is sealed, and the pressure in the chamber is reduced along a predetermined pressure curve to a target decompression pressure, and maintained at the decompression pressure for a period of time until the animal achieves a state of death. The low atmospheric pressure slaughter is more humane than traditional slaughter techniques, and results in excellent meat quality.

A novel and sustainable start-to-finish process for producing a premium ground beef product made from whole-ground primal cuts of beef, where the process begins with the cow-calf operation seeing the birthing of a calf at approximately one year prior to the desired date of slaughtering for retail, weaning the birthed calf until the calf is approximately six to nine months old, finishing the calf to the yearling stage (preferably at the main operation but optionally by a stocker/backgrounder), slaughtering the yearling for processing, and processing the yearling by deboning the carcass and whole-grinding the carcass to create a ground beef product that includes a mixture of primal cuts of beef.

A novel and sustainable start-to-finish process for producing a premium ground beef product made from whole-ground primal cuts of beef, where the process begins with the cow-calf operation seeing the birthing of a calf at approximately one year prior to the desired date of slaughtering for retail, weaning the birthed calf until the calf is approximately six to nine months old, finishing the calf to the yearling stage (preferably at the main operation but optionally by a stocker/backgrounder), slaughtering the yearling for processing, and processing the yearling by deboning the carcass and whole-grinding the carcass to create a ground beef product that includes a mixture of primal cuts of beef.

A method and apparatus involving a euthanasia process are provided. The euthanasia process is carried out in a chamber including electric stunning to induce insensibility and reduced atmospheric pressure to induce hypoxia. The described method and apparatus provide a more humane system for euthanizing animals and reducing any negative impacts for people carrying out the process.

A method of preparing an animal for slaughter, said method comprising at least one the steps of subjecting the animal to a gaseous muscle relaxant without inducing unconsciousness of the animal; and stunning the animal in a space using a gas composition suitable for stunning.

A method for stunning animals and a respective stunning system is disclosed. Animals are lowered in a cradle into a pit filled with anoxic stunning gas. The cradle is provided with a heat sink, preferably comprising solid carbon dioxide, for cooling the stunning gas in the pit resulting in a density increase of the stunning gas in the pit. This reduces demixing of the stunning gas and rising of components such as nitrogen (N.sub.2) usually having a lower density than the air surrounding the stunning system.

Methods of performing sanitary procedures in a defined space are disclosed that comprise; introducing to said space a foam comprising a foaming agent and a gas; adjunctively to introducing the foam, introducing to said space a composition comprising an effective amount of chlorine dioxide; and admitting the foam to sufficiently fill said space, thereby admitting the chlorine dioxide composition to sufficiently sanitize the space and surfaces of subjects and/or objects present therein. Sanitizer and/or disinfectant products are also disclosed, comprising a foaming agent and an aqueous disinfectant and/or sanitizing composition comprising chlorine dioxide and an effect supporting surfactant system.