STUNNING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STUNNING AN ANIMAL TO BE SLAUGHTERED IN AN ANIMAL-FRIENDLY AND INEXPENSIVE MANNER

Abstract

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).

Claims

1. 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 stunning gas atmosphere for the slaughter ani-mal (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 outlet (36) arranged in the transport direction (48) between the pre-stunning gas supply (28) and the final stunning gas supply (32) for dis-charging the gas atmosphere from the stunning channel (18); and a recovery system (44) for the pre-stunning gas (14) and/or the final stunning gas (16) connected to the gas discharge (36).

2. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the stunning facility (10) is designed such that a gas atmosphere can be provided in a first section (30) of the stunning channel (18), which gas atmosphere is essentially formed by the pre-stunning gas (14), and a gas atmosphere can be provided in a second section (34) of the stunning channel (18) which is directly adjacent to the first section in the transport direction (48), which gas atmosphere is essentially formed by the final stunning gas (16), and such that a gas atmosphere can be provided in the first section (30) and/or in the second section (34), in which a gas movement (38, 42) to the gas discharge (36) is present.

3. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the stunning facility (10) is designed in such a way that a gas movement (38) of the gas atmosphere in the transport direction (48) can be provided in a first region (30) of the stunning channel (18) and that a gas movement (42) of the gas atmosphere opposite to the transport direction (48) can be provided in a second region (40) of the stunning channel directly adjoining the first region in the transport direction (48).

4. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the pre-stunning gas (14) has a lower density than air and/or wherein the pre-stunning gas (14) is helium and/or wherein the final stunning gas (16) is nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide.

5. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the recovery system (44) is a helium recovery system and/or is designed to perform gas separation by means of a membrane.

6. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the recovery system (44) is connected to the pre-stunning gas supply (28) and/or the final stunning gas supply (32).

7. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the stunning channel (18) in the region of the gas discharge (36) is designed with a separating device for reducing a mixing of a gas atmosphere which is essentially formed by the pre-stunning gas (14) with a gas atmosphere which is essentially formed by the final stunning gas (16).

8. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the pre-stunning gas supply (28) is located at a higher level than the final stunning gas supply (32) and/or wherein the pre-stunning gas supply (28) is located at a higher level than the gas discharge (36) and/or wherein the gas discharge (36) is located at the same height or at a higher level than the final stunning gas supply (32).

9. The stunning facility (10) according to claim 1, wherein the pre-stunning gas supply (28), the final stunning gas supply (32) and the gas discharge (36) are matched to one another in such a way that a pressure within the stunning channel (18) at the entrance opening (20) and/or at the exit opening (22) is lower than an ambient pressure.

10. A method for stunning a slaughter animal (12), with the use of a stunning facility (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: providing one or more slaughter animals (12) on a conveying device (46) passing through a stunning channel (18) of the stunning facility (10); and conveying the one or more slaughter animals (12) provided on the conveying device (46) through the stunning channel (12) by means of the conveying device (46) in such a way that the one or more slaughter animals (12) are guided in a pre-stunned state caused by a pre-stunning gas (12) through a region (40) of the stunning channel (18), in which a gas atmosphere is essentially formed by a final stunning gas (16) different from the pre-stunning gas (14) and there is a gas movement (42) of the gas atmosphere to a gas discharge (36) connected to a recovery system (44).

Description

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a stunning facility 1 during driving in slaughter animals according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

[0048] FIGS. 2 to 7 show a schematic sectional view of the stunning facility of FIG. 1 during transportation of the slaughter animals through the stunning facility.

[0049] The stunning facility 10 shown in FIG. 1 can be used for stunning a slaughter animal 12, in the present embodiment pigs, before the slaughter animal 12 is killed and slaughtered. The stunning of the slaughter animal 12 is a two-stage stunning by means of a pre-stunning gas 14, in the present embodiment helium, and a final stunning gas 16, in the present embodiment nitrogen. With reference to FIGS. 1 to 7, the stunning facility 10 and a method for stunning the slaughter animals 12 by use of the stunning facility 10 are explained below.

[0050] The stunning facility 10 comprises a stunning channel 18 comprising an entrance opening 20 and an exit opening 22. The slaughter animals 12 are fed through the entrance opening 20 to the stunning channel 18 (see FIG. 1), which provides the gas atmospheres with the pre-stunning gas 14 and the final stunning gas 16 for stunning the slaughter animal 12. In the present exemplary embodiment, the stunning channel 18 essentially has the shape of an inverted U, wherein the stunning channel 18 comprises a region 24 between the entrance opening 20 and the exit opening 22, which region is located at a higher level than the entrance opening 20 and the exit opening 22, which are located at the same height. In order to connect the entrance opening 20 to the region 24 located at a higher level, the stunning channel 18 in the present exemplary embodiment comprises a feed section 26 leading vertically upwards.

[0051] In the transition from the feed section 26 to the region 24 located at a higher level, a pre-stunning gas supply 28 for supplying the pre-stunning gas 14 into the stunning channel 18 is disposed in a ceiling of the stunning channel 18. In this way, at least in a horizontally designed section 30 of the stunning channel 18, a gas atmosphere is provided which is formed to at least 95% by volume from the pre-stunning gas helium 14 and contains less than 1% by volume oxygen. In this section 30the pre-stunning section 30the slaughter animals 12 are pre-stunned (see in particular FIGS. 3, 4 and 6).

[0052] In addition, the stunning channel 18 comprises a final stunning gas supply 32 for supplying the final stunning gas 16, in this case nitrogen, into the stunning channel 18. In this way, a gas atmosphere is provided in a further section 34 of the stunning channel 18, which is formed to at least 95% by volume from the final stunning gas nitrogen 16 and contains less than 1% by volume oxygen. This further section 34-the final stunning section 34directly adjoins the pre-stunning section 30. In the final stunning section 34, the slaughter animals 12 are finally stunned so that a sufficiently deep stunning is provided for the subsequent slaughtering (see in particular FIGS. 5 to 7). In the present case, the final stunning section 34 initially extends horizontally subsequent to the pre-stunning section 30 and then has an inclination of 30 degrees downwards in the direction of the exit opening 22.

[0053] Between the pre-stunning gas supply 28 and the final stunning gas supply 32, a gas discharge 36 for discharging the gas atmosphere from the stunning channel 18 is provided in the bottom of the stunning channel 18. By means of the pre-stunning gas supply 28, the final stunning gas supply 32 and the gas discharge 36 a gas movement 38 of the pre-stunning gas atmosphere 14 to the gas discharge 36 is achieved in the pre-stunning section 30 and a gas movement 42 of the final stunning gas atmosphere 16 to the gas discharge 36 is achieved in a region 40 of the final stunning section 34. The gas discharge 36 is connected to a recovery system 44 for the pre-stunning gas.

[0054] In the present case, this is a helium recovery system 44, which separates the helium from the gas mixture discharged from the gas discharge 36 by means of a membrane.

[0055] In order to guide the slaughter animals 12 through the stunning channel 18, the stunning facility 10 comprises a conveying device 46 leading through the stunning channel 12 for conveying the slaughter animals 12 through the stunning channel 18 in a transport direction 48 from the entrance opening 20 to the exit opening 22. In the feed section 26, the conveying device 46 is designed as a vertically adjustable transport belt 50. The transport belt 50 suspended at ropes (ropes not shown in the figures) allows a transportation in a vertical direction due to the ropes (see in particular FIGS. 2 and 5) and a conveyance in a horizontal direction by conveying the transport belt 50. In the present exemplary embodiment, the transport belt 50, which is designed to be gas-permeable, is also configured to accommodate ten pigs 12. For the sake of clarity, however, only one pig 12 is shown in the figures.

[0056] In the pre-stunning section 30 and in the final stunning section 34, the transport direction 48 is designed as a conveyor belt 52. In this way, after the slaughter animals 12 have been moved from the vertically adjustable transport belt 50 through the feed section 26 (see FIGS. 2 and 3), the slaughter animal can be transported through the pre-stunning section 30 (see FIG. 4) and the final stunning section 34 (see FIGS. 5 to 7) of the stunning channel 18 by the conveying movement of the transport belt 50 and the adjoining conveyor belt 52.

[0057] In addition, the stunning channel 18 has a further gas discharge 54 downstream of the final stunning gas supply 32 in the transport direction 48. The further gas discharge 54 is located 1 meter upstream of the exit opening 22 in the ceiling of the stunning channel 18. The pre-stunning gas supply 28, the final stunning gas supply 32, the gas discharge 36 and the further gas discharge 54 are matched to one another in such a way that a pressure within the stunning channel 18 at the entrance opening 20 and at the exit opening 22 is lower than an ambient pressure. As a result, a small amount of ambient air 56 is drawn in from the stunning channel 18 at the entrance opening 20 and at the exit opening 22, respectively.

[0058] In order to monitor and control the gas atmosphere within the stunning channel 18, the stunning facility 10 comprises a plurality of oxygen sensors 58. These are mounted every 20 height centimeters in the feed section 26 and every meter in the pre-stunning section 30 and in the final stunning section 34 along the transport direction 48. The oxygen sensors 58 are connected communicatively to a control unit for the pre-stunning gas supply 28, the final stunning gas supply 32, the gas discharge 36 and the further gas discharge 54, so that a fully automatic control of the gas atmosphere in the stunning channel 18 takes place.

[0059] In the method for stunning the slaughter animals 12 with the stunning facility 10, the slaughter animals 12 are provided in a first step on the conveying device 46 passing through the stunning channel 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 4). At this point, the slaughter animals 12 are in a non-stunning gas atmosphere, so that the slaughter animals 12 enter the stunning channel 18 and the conveying device 46, namely the vertically adjustable transport belt 50, autonomously. The bottom of the vertically adjustable transport belt 50, which is designed to be gas-permeable, is such that the slaughter animals 12 can walk thereon autonomously.

[0060] In a further step, the vertically adjustable transport belt 50 moves with the slaughter animals 12 up the feed section 26 of the stunning channel 18 to the pre-stunning section 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 5). At the top of the pre-stunning section 30, the gas atmosphere is essentially formed by the pre-stunning gas 14 in a controlled and monitored way by use of the pre-stunning gas supply 28 and the oxygen sensors 58. Once they have arrived here, the slaughter animals 12 are pre-stunned (see FIGS. 3 and 6).

[0061] The pre-stunned slaughter animals 12 are then conveyed by the conveying device 46 through the pre-stunning section 30 in the transport direction 48 towards the final stunning section 34 (FIGS. 4 and 6). The slaughter animals 12 are thus conveyed in the pre-stunned state through the final stunning section 34, where the final stunning takes place (see FIG. 4). As already mentioned, the final stunning section 34 comprises the region 40 in which the gas atmosphere has a gas movement 42 towards the gas discharge 36 and thus against the transport direction 48 of the slaughter animals. In this region 40, the slaughter animals 12 exhale the pre-stunning gas 14 inhaled in the pre-stunning section 30 and the exhaled pre-stunning gas 14 is guided with the gas movement 42 to the gas discharge 36 and to the recovery system 44 for pre-stunning gas 14. During transportation of the slaughter animals 12 through the pre-stunning section 30 in the transport direction 48 towards the final stunning section 34 (FIG. 4 or 6), as soon as the vertically adjustable transport belt 50 is no longer occupied by the slaughter animals 12, it can move downwards in the feed section 26 towards the entrance opening 20 in order to be ready for further slaughter animals 12.

[0062] In a further step, the finally stunned slaughter animals 12 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) are transported by the conveying device 46 out of the exit opening 22 of the stunning channel 18 onto a transverse belt 60 arranged transversely to the transport direction 48, where they are separated and fed to the subsequent killing and slaughtering.

List of Reference Symbols

[0063] 10 stunning facility [0064] 12 slaughter animal, pig [0065] 14 pre-stunning gas, helium [0066] 16 final stunning gas, nitrogen [0067] 18 stunning channel [0068] 20 entrance opening [0069] 22 exit opening [0070] 24 region located at a higher level of the stunning channel [0071] 26 feed section [0072] 28 pre-stunning gas supply [0073] 30 pre-stunning section [0074] 32 final stunning gas supply [0075] 34 final stunning section [0076] 36 gas discharge [0077] 38 gas movement in transport direction [0078] 40 region with gas movement opposite the transport direction [0079] 42 gas movement opposite the transport direction [0080] 44 recovery system for pre-stunning gas, helium recovery system [0081] 46 conveying device [0082] 48 transport direction [0083] 50 vertically adjustable transport belt [0084] 52 conveyor belt [0085] 54 further gas discharge [0086] 56 ambient air drawn in [0087] 58 oxygen sensor [0088] 60 transverse belt