title: A note comparing the welfare of Zebu cattle following three stunning-slaughter methods.
abstract: The objective of this study was to assess welfare of cattle during bleeding after slaughter with or without stunning. A total of 434 bulls were distributed across three slaughter treatments: penetrating captive bolt stunning followed by chest sticking (PCB, N=279), non-penetrating captive bolt stunning followed by halal slaughter (NPCB, N=67) and shechita without previous stunning (SHE, N=88). Four measures of possible consciousness and return to sensibility were recorded 20 and 60 s after bleeding as welfare indicators. They were the frequencies of responses to nostril stimulation and tongue pinch, spontaneous eye blinking, and rhythmic breathing. All responses were absent in stunned cattle at both 20 and 60 s, and in SHE cattle 7, 4, 10, and 100% of the animals presented these responses, respectively. Repeat shots were required for 46% NPCB and 2% PCB (P<0.05). The application of religious slaughter without previous stunning may result in greater risk of cattle suffering, pain and distress at slaughter.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Brasília - IFB, Campus Planaltina, 73.380-900 Planaltina, DF, Brazil. Electronic address: julia.neves@ifb.edu.br.
authors.forename: J E G
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.affiliation: Grupo ETCO, Departamento de Zootecnia, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, UNESP, 14.884-900, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: mpcosta@fcav.unesp.br.
authors.forename: M J R
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Paranhos da Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Economia, Sociologia e Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas de Botucatu, UNESP, 18.610-307, Botucatu, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: robertoroca@fca.unesp.br.
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Roça
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2000 College Street, J1M 0C8 Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Electronic address: luigi.faucitano@agr.gc.ca.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faucitano
authors.affiliation: Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: neville@fcav.unesp.br.
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Gregory
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs / Q000592:standards*; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003243:Consciousness; D008297:Male
keywords: cranial nerve reflexes; non-penetrating captive bolt; pain responses; penetrating captive bolt; shechita