Presentado por:

Sebastin Acevedo; Gerson Meza; Eder Rondn

Seminario de Investigacin II
Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia
Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia
Bucaramanga, 2012
Institute for Animal Science and Health, ID-DLO, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB,
Lelystad, The Netherlands
ABSTRACT
The effects of captive bolt stunning
using air pressure, compared to
electrical water bath stunning, on
broiler carcass and meat quality were
evaluated. The birds were shackled or
placed in a cone.
Electrical stunning is normally used to induce
unconsciousness during cutting and bleeding for
reasons of animal welfare in the EU or to induce
immobilization to facilitate automatic neck cutting in
the U.S
This recommended minimum current for broilers in
the EU increases quality defects (hemorrhages,
broken bones) of carcasses and broiler meat
(Veerkamp and de Vries, 1983; Gregory and Wilkins,
1989a). It is apparent that there is a conflict between
welfare and meat quality under the electrical water
bath stunning and killing procedure

INTRODUCTION
Therefore, alternative methods for stunning broilers
have to be explored. Novel methods of stunning using
gases have been developed (Raj et al., 1990a;
Hoenderken et al., 1994); however, gaseous stunning
involves an induction phase that can be stressful to
the birds.

In order to find a slaughter technology that satisfies
most of the welfare and quality requirements,
alternative methods have to be explored. In a previous
study (Hillebrand et al., 1996a), the effects of
conventional electrical water bath stunning, electrical
head-only stunning, and mechanical captive bolt
stunning on broiler meat quality were compared

The development of the latter two alternative stunning
methods for poultry makes it essential to prevent the
post-stun convulsions caused by these stunning methods.
Nevertheless, head-only and captive bolt stunning are
promising alternatives to the conventional electrical
stunning procedure with respect to hemorrhaging

Compared to water bath stunning, fewer hemorrhages in
broiler breast and thigh muscles were observed after
head-only and captive bolt stunning. Reducing the
number and intensity of convulsions is considered
positive, even though hemorrhaging or bird welfare are
not necessarily negatively affected by it. However,
convulsions are objectionable on aesthetic grounds
Moreover, a motionless animal is required forneck
cutting. An extremely high frequency current applied
through the whole body, a so-called relaxation
current, is one of the means that is used to attempt
blocking spinal cord reflexes after head-only
stunning. Administering of a relaxation current did
not always

OBJETIVE GENERAL
determine the best method of stunning method does
not affect the quality of the meat and get better
performance
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Design:
Two experimental trials were conducted using a total
of 160 female broilers (5 to 6 wk of age, average live
weight 1.5 0.1 kg for all treatment groups) to
determine the influence of two stunning and two
restraining methods on meat quality.
In both trials, 80 broilers were used and randomly
assigned to one of four following stunning-restraining
treatments:
1) whole-body electrical stunning in a saline
waterbath while broilers were shackled by their
feet (10 s, 116 15 mA, 300 Hz, sinusoidal AC; n =
20 per trial)
2) placed in a cone (10 s, 108 25 mA, 300 Hz,
sinusoidal AC; n = 20 per trial)
3) air pressure stunning with an injection time of
0.5 s and an air pressure of 2 atm while broilers
were shackled (n = 20 per trial)
4) placed in a cone (n = 20 per trial)
Neck cutting was performed 10 to 15 s from the end of
the application of stunning procedure. Birds were
exsanguinated for 3 min. Carcasses were transferred to
processing shackles and moved into a scalder (4 min,
50 C).

Measurements:

The degree of muscle reactions (convulsions) during
stunning and exsanguination was subjectively scored
(scores 0, 1, 2, and 3 represent no, mild, moderate, and
severe convulsions, respectively).

Blood loss was determined by the difference in body
weight before neck cutting and after 3 min
exsanguination
Temperature and pH in breast muscle (P. major) was
measured after evisceration (20 min postmortem),
after the fast chilling phase (60 min postmortem),
after the slow chilling phase (140 min postmortem)

Temperature and pH in thigh muscle (Flexor cruris
medialis) was measured after the slow chilling phase
(60 min postmortem) only Muscle pH was measured
with a portable pH measuring device 2 (Scott Gerate,
type CG 818) connected to an Ingold electrode 2
(Xerolyt, type LOT 406-M6-DXK-S7/25), and
temperature with a digital thermometer 3 (Testo 901).
Fractures of pectoral bones (clavicle, scapula, and
coracoid; present or absent), and wing hemorrhages
were scored subjectively (categories 1, 2, and 3
represent mild, moderate, and severe hemorrhaging,
respectively) when breast muscles and thighs were
excised from the carcasses by cutting off the lateral
surface.

Hemorrhages in breast (dorsal side of P. major and
minor) and left and right thigh muscles (medial side)
were quantified by a visual grading system.


The packaged breast muscles were heated in a double-
plated contact grill (2 min, 180 C). Samples were
presented to a trained sensory panel immediately after
cooking.
Tenderness, juiciness, and intensity of taste of the breast
meat were assessed by means of a line scale.
Statistical Analysis


The effect of trial, stunning, and restraining procedure
and interacting effects on the continuous parameters,
blood loss, temperature, pH, color values, cooking
loss, and sensory quality parameters were analyzed
with analysis of variance models.
The replicates by stunning or restraining
interactions were not significant; therefore
the data were combined across trials.
Results of the measurements indicate
interactions of stunning and restraining
effects for two measurements only.
TABLE 1. Blood loss, breast and thigh muscle pH and
temperature, meat quality parameter means and
standard deviations, and incidence of pectoral bone
fractures of broilers electrically whole-body1 or air
pressure2 stunned
while shackled or restrained in a cone (n = 80 per
stunning or restraining method)
CONTINUOUS PARAMETERS

Muscle Reactions

Blood Loss
Cooking Loss

Color

Pectoral Bone
Fractures

Muscle pH and
Temperature

Hemorrhaging
whole-body elec- trical stunning (10 s,
110 mA, 300 Hz) in a water bath or air
pressure stunning (0.5 s, 2 atm) while
broilers were shackled by their feet or
placed in a cone
RESULTS TABLE 1
Air pressure stunning caused a higher (P < 0.01)
degree of convul- sions and a lower (P < 0.01) degree
of blood loss than electrical stunning, and
reduced the prevalence of broken clavicles (P <
0 .05) and coracoids (P < 0 .01). Blood loss of
shackled broilers was slightly higher (P < 0.05) than
those restrained in a cone.

Air pressure stunning resulted in significantly (P <
0.01) lower pH values and hemorrhaging in filets
and thigh muscles than electrical stunning
Captive bolt stunning using air
pressure has benefits over electrical
stunning, however, a suitable stunning
and restraining device remains to be
developed.
CONCLUSIONS
is to achieve improved animal welfare using the amount of
current required (120 mA) to induce unconsciousness and
cardiac arrest to cause animal restraint to facilitate
automatic cut neck. This minimum recommended current
for broilers increases quality defects (bleeding, broken
bones) of carcasses and meat.
were unable to assess how much hz and need a chicken mA
due to lightheadedness
We must implement measures in Section stunning when
knowing that all our animals do not come with the same
weight at which some require more electricity than
Should be made aware that operators also have to respect
animal welfare seguiminetos therefore carry chain, gear,
the dislucion, and cuts.