Method and apparatus for processing slaughtered poultry that is conveyed in a slaughter line of a slaughter house, in order to establish at the start of said slaughter line whether the poultry was alive or dead on arrival at the slaughter house. Such can include the detection of a body parameter of the slaughtered poultry when the poultry is suspended by the legs in the slaughter line after stunning said poultry, and wherein an absorption spectrum of blood of the slaughtered poultry is determined.

The present invention discloses a food source for predatory mites and/or insects comprising a mixture of a carrier material and individuals of at least one mite species suitable as being a prey for the predatory mites and/or insects. The present invention further discloses methods for producing the food source and uses thereof.

The invention relates to an apparatus, designed and configured for stunning live poultry animals which are intended for slaughter and are located in containers, by means of a gas mixture comprising a stunning gas, which apparatus comprises a stunning chamber having at least two stunning zones, an introduction station, arranged on the inlet side of the stunning chamber, for the or each container containing live poultry animals and a discharge station, arranged on the outlet side of the stunning chamber, for the or each container containing stunned poultry animals, at least one transport conveyor for transporting the or each container in the transport direction T through the stunning zones from the introduction station to the discharge station, as well as means for delivering the gas mixture into the stunning zones of the stunning chamber, which apparatus is characterized in that the means for delivering the gas mixture comprises at least one injection pipe which is designed and configured to be movable relative to the container for detachable connection to the or each container and for detachment therefrom, in such a manner that each container can be filled with the gas mixture when it is in the state of detachable connection to the or each injection pipe. The invention relates further to an arrangement comprising such an apparatus and at least one container, and to a corresponding method.

A gas stunning apparatus and system includes a first environment and a second environment. An animal is passed through the first environment until the carbon dioxide concentration within the first environment is about 40%, rendering the animal unconscious. The animal is then passed through the second environment until the carbon dioxide concentration within the second environment is about 100%, rendering the animal irrevocably unconscious.

In accordance with example embodiments, a system may include a supply unit, a first transfer unit, a second transfer unit, and a gas chamber. In example embodiments, the supply unit may include a plurality of compartments and each compartment may have a moving device configured to move contents of the compartment from a first end of the compartment to a second end of the compartment. In example embodiments the first transfer unit may include a second moving device. In example embodiments, the second transfer unit may include a third moving device. In example embodiments the first transfer unit may be configured to receive contents from each compartment of the supply unit and move the contents to the second transfer unit, and the third moving device may be configured to move the contents to the gas chamber.

The invention relates to a stunning device (1) for poultry, having an elongated stunning space (2) with a poultry feed opening and a poultry discharge opening which elongated stunning space is subdivided in at least two connecting compartments, a controlled anaesthetic gas feed connecting to the elongated stunning space, and a conveyer (9) leading through the elongated stunning space providing a transportation path for the poultry, wherein at least one side of the elongate stunning space is connecting to a transition compartment. The invention also provides a method of operating such a stunning device.

In accordance with example embodiment, a system may include a supply unit, a first transfer unit, a second transfer unit, and a gas chamber. In example embodiments, the supply unit may include a plurality of compartments and each compartment may have a moving device configured to move contents of the compartment from a first end of the compartment to a second end of the compartment. In example embodiments the first transfer unit may include a second moving device. In example embodiments, the second transfer unit may include a third moving device. In example embodiments the first transfer unit may be configured to receive contents from each compartment of the supply unit and move the contents to the second transfer unit, and the third moving device may be configured to move the contents to the gas chamber.

The invention relates to an apparatus, designed and configured for stunning live poultry animals which are intended for slaughter and are located in containers, by means of a gas mixture comprising a stunning gas, which apparatus comprises a stunning chamber having at least two stunning zones, an introduction station, arranged on the inlet side of the stunning chamber, for the or each container containing live poultry animals and a discharge station, arranged on the outlet side of the stunning chamber, for the or each container containing stunned poultry animals, at least one transport conveyor for transporting the or each container in the transport direction T through the stunning zones from the introduction station to the discharge station, as well as means for delivering the gas mixture into the stunning zones of the stunning chamber, which apparatus is characterised in that the means for delivering the gas mixture comprises at least one injection pipe which is designed and configured to be movable relative to the container for detachable connection to the or each container and for detachment therefrom, in such a manner that each container can be filled with the gas mixture when it is in the state of detachable connection to the or each injection pipe. The invention relates further to an arrangement comprising such an apparatus and at least one container, and to a corresponding method.

When stunning animals e.g. by CO.sub.2-stunning aversive reactions may be seen among the animals as a reaction to the high concentration of CO.sub.2. To avoid the aversive reactions animals can be pre-stunned before being final-stunned and perhaps killed or slaughtered when stunned. Pre-stunning of animals may be performed with a combination of gas for pre-stunning comprising at least air and/or O.sub.2 together with CO.sub.2 e.g. in a concentration below 40%, at least air and/or O2 together with N2O, or at least air and/or O.sub.2 together with N.sub.2O and CO.sub.2, where CO.sub.2 may bi in a concentration below 40%. For larger animals such as pigs pre-stunning is performed for less than 60 seconds. A stunning system may comprise means for pre-stunning of animals before performing a final-stunning and may include gas storage for re-use of the pre-stunning gas.

The invention relates to a stunning facility (10) for two-stage stunning a slaughter animal (12) by means of a pre-stunning gas (14) and a final stunning gas (16), comprising a stunning channel (18) comprising an entrance opening (20) and an exit opening (22) for providing a gas atmosphere which stuns the slaughter animal (12), a conveying device (46) passing through the stunning channel (18) for conveying the slaughter animal (12) through the stunning channel (18) in a transport direction (48) from the entrance opening (20) to the exit opening (22), a pre-stunning gas supply (28) for supplying the pre-stunning gas (14) into the stunning channel (18), a final stunning gas supply (32) for supplying the final stunning gas (16) into the stunning channel (18), a gas discharge (36) disposed in the transport direction (48) between the pre-stunning gas supply (28) and the final stunning gas supply (32) for discharging the gas atmosphere from the stunning channel (18), and a recovery system (44) connected to the gas discharge (36) for the pre-stunning gas (14) and/or the final stunning gas (16). The invention further relates to a method for stunning a slaughter animal (12) by use of the above stunning facility (10).