An apparatus for stunning an animal with an exhaust gas mixture includes a stunning chamber located at a processing site to contain therein as many an animal selected to be stunned; and a combustion chamber located at the processing site for combusting a mixture to provide therefrom an exhaust gas mixture which includes carbon dioxide for stunning the animal in the stunning chamber. A related method and exhaust gas mixture are also provided.

A method is provided for reducing animal reactions when exposed to a pre-stunning relaxation gas and/or stunning gas during a pre-stunning and/or stunning process. The method includes: exposing at least one animal to a pre-stunning relaxation gas and/or stunning gas for an exposure period; exposing the at least one animal to at least one smell additive at least during a part of said exposure period, in particular during an initial part of said exposure period.

A method for monitoring gas stunning of birds, where groups of birds are conveyed into and out of a stunning zone (1), and where the concentration of the stunning gas in the stunning zone is measured and adjusted for optimal stunning. The gas concentration is measured at a plurality of measuring positions in the stunning zone and a visual inspection of the birds is performed at two or more of the measuring positions using a visual inspection unit (76), such as a camera, which is moved into the stunning zone together with the group of birds. The groups of birds are advantageously kept in crates (3). The visual inspection unit may be part of a monitoring unit (71) further including a gas sensor (75), said monitoring unit being used for simultaneous measuring of the concentration of the stunning gas and inspection the birds at two or more monitoring positions.

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.

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 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 method of reducing stress level in animals such as pigs may include: sealable enclosing the animals in at least one chamber; exposing the animals to a gas mixture comprising oxygen and at least one type of physiologically inert gas; gradually decreasing the oxygen concentration from a maximum level, to a minimum level; gradually increasing the at least one physiologically inert gas concentration from a minimum level to a maximum level; wherein the minimum level of the oxygen concentration is higher than the anaesthetic causing concentration for the animals.

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.