A METHOD OF PREPARING AN ANIMAL FOR SLAUGHTER

Abstract

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.

Claims

1.-12. (canceled)

13. A method of preparing an animal for slaughter, said method comprising the step of stunning the animal in a space using a gas composition suitable for stunning, wherein the animal is subjected to a gaseous muscle relaxant before being unconscious.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of rendering the animal unconscious by stunning is preceded by a step of subjecting the animal to a further gas composition comprising the gaseous muscle relaxant, and at least 5 vol. % oxygen.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the gaseous muscle relaxant is introduced as a foam.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the animal is in a container and the ambient air is expelled from the container using a first foam, comprising the gaseous muscle relaxant.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein said gas composition suitable for stunning is introduced as a foam.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said muscle relaxant is introduced as a first foam and said gas composition suitable for stunning is introduced as a second foam.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said first foam is broken down before said second foam is introduced.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the CO.sub.2 concentration in the foam comprising the gaseous muscle relaxant is less than 10 vol. %.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein the CO.sub.2 concentration in the foam comprising the gaseous muscle relaxant is less than 5 vol. %.

22. The method according to claim 15, wherein the CO.sub.2 concentration in the foam comprising the gaseous muscle relaxant is less than 2 vol. %.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein the oxygen concentration in the foam comprising the gas composition suitable for stunning is less than 2 vol. %.

24. The method according to claim 17, wherein the oxygen concentration in the foam comprising the gas composition suitable for stunning is less than 1 vol. %.

25. The method according to claim 17, wherein the oxygen concentration in the foam comprising the gas composition suitable for stunning is less than 0.5 vol. %.

26. The method according to claim 13, wherein the gaseous muscle relaxant is eliminated by displacing said muscle relaxant by the gas composition suitable for stunning.

27. The method according to claim 13, wherein the gaseous muscle relaxant is nitrous oxide.

28. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the animal is stunned using a gas containing at least one compound selected from N.sub.2, Ar, CO, NO, and CO.sub.2.

Description

[0039] The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the example section below.

[0040] The following set up is proposed for testing the effectiveness of embodiments of the present method.

[0041] To assess the aversion of the gasses, 24 2.0-3.5 kg cross-bred commercial broiler chickens are used per treatment (CO or NO). To avoid isolation stress, the chickens are placed in pairs in a poultry transportation crate 1163×1163×255 mm. The crate is placed in a container that can be sealed off from the atmospheric air. In the top of the container a valve that allows air to expel from the container until it is completely filled with high expansion gas-filled anoxia foam. Prior to introducing the foam, the behaviour of the chickens is monitored by two cameras installed in the crate for 5 minutes under atmospheric conditions. Then, the CO or NO gas is administered, using the high expansion foam, using a high expansion anoxia foam nozzle placed at the bottom of the crate. The foam nozzle is connected to CO or NO cylinders and a fluid container with a mix of 97% water and 3% high expansion foam detergent. The gas and fluid mix creating the high expansion Anoxia gas filled foam is administered by gas and fluid regulators and flow meters. Once the container is filled with foam, the atmospheric air is expelled from the container through the valve at the top of the container. The container is completely sealed off after the valve is closed. The foam inside the container is than destructed by a powerful pulse of the gas or gas mixture, similar to the content inside the foam. As a result, the movements of the birds can be registered via the cameras inside the crate. The chickens remain inside the sealed off container until they are dead. During the total exposure time, video recordings are collected for analysis of the behaviour, including indicators of aversion, unconsciousness and death. After completion of the procedure, the container is opened.

[0042] To assess the time to lose consciousness and the onset of death, 24 2.0-3.5 kg cross-bred commercial broiler chickens are used per treatment (CO or NO). To avoid isolation stress, the chickens are placed in pairs in in a poultry transportation crate 1163×1163×255 mm. Before placing the chickens in the crate, three needle electrodes are implanted in the head of one chicken of each pair of chickens for the recording of an electroencephalogram (EEG). The electrodes are connected to an Index of Consciousness (IoC) view monitor to record the EEG signal. Basal data is recorded for 5 minutes in atmospheric conditions. The crate is placed in a container that can be sealed off from the atmospheric air. In the top of the container a valve that allows air to expel from the container until it is completely filled with high expansion gas-filled anoxia foam. Prior to introducing the foam, the behaviour of the chickens is monitored by two cameras installed in the crate for 5 minutes under atmospheric conditions. Then, the CO or NO gas is administered, using the high expansion foam, using a high expansion anoxia foam nozzle placed at the bottom of the crate. The foam nozzle is connected to CO or NO cylinders and a fluid container with a mix of 97% water and 3% high expansion foam detergent. The gas and fluid mix creating the high expansion Anoxia gas filled foam is administered by gas and fluid regulators and flow meters. Once the container is filled with foam, the atmospheric air is expelled from the container through the valve at the top of the container. The container is completely sealed off after the valve is closed. The foam inside the container is than destructed by a powerful pulse of the gas or gas mixture, similar to the content inside the foam. During the total exposure time, the EEG signal is recorded, and video recordings are collected for analysis of the behaviour of the chickens during gas exposure. After completion of the procedure, the container is opened.

[0043] The above control experiments are repeated, but now preceded by introducing nitrous oxide as a muscle relaxant at various concentrations. Before and after the experiments, meat quality is assessed by assessing chickens for the presence of skin lesions, open wounds, bruising on wings and breasts, dislocation of joints and fracture of leg and wing bones.

The described experiments are equally applicable for other larger animals than poultry by suitable measures in dimensioning.