Subject: Slaughtering

National chicken council broiler welfare guidelines and audit checklist

National Chicken Council

Published in 2022

Two-yearly update of the NCC broiler welfare guidelines including key welfare indicators (including foot pad health, gait, reduction of leg and wing injuries), with a focus on bird behaviour, objective measures and welfare outcomes, enhanced training programs for proper handling of birds, and an improved audit tool.

Document Types: Good practice guide

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Enrichment, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system

Go to document

Inter-Observer Repeatability of Indicators of Consciousness after Waterbath Stunning in Broiler Chickens

Alexandra Contreras-Jodar, Aranzazu Varvaró-Porter, Virginie Michel, Antonio Velarde

Published in 2022

A study proposing an improved list of indicators available for use in commercial abattoirs to ensure the consistency of assessments of the effectiveness of electrostunning in broilers. Prior to bleeding, it is better to check for breathing than for blinking or spontaneous vocalizations. During bleeding, the recommended indicators are breathing, wing flapping and head shaking.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Carcass quality, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

Go to document

Impact of Procedures and Human-Animal Interactions during Transport and Slaughter on Animal Welfare of Pigs: A Systematic Literature Review

Rudi Isbrandt, Mechthild Wiegard, Diana Meemken, Nina Langkabel

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature to identify animal-based and management-based indicators that could be influenced by changes in handling procedures for feeder pigs on the day of slaughter. Factors with the highest impact on pig welfare were the calmness of operators when handling animals, reduction of environmental noise and transport time, and control of stunning effectiveness.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

Go to document

Annual report of the EFSA Networks on Animal Welfare 2022

EFSA

Published in 2022

Report of the 2022 meeting which dealt with the revision of the European animal welfare regulations, the associated EFSA opinions with a presentation of those published in 2022 and a progress report on those in progress, and with the work of the expert subgroup for animal welfare and the subgroup on national contact points.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Bovines, Porcines, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transportation, Pain

Go to document

Methods used by Canadian dairy farmers for on-farm euthanasia and the emotions associated with the decision and the practice of euthanasia

J. Denis-Robichaud, M. Rousseau, M. Denicourt, M. Villettaz-Robichaud, A.-M. Lamothe, L. DesCôteaux

Published in 2022

Scientific article describing the on-farm slaughtering practices of Canadian dairy farmers and assessing their associated emotions. The main method was shooting with a gun (>70%). Farmers mentioned uother small companion animalsceptable slaughter methods and few farmers used decision trees or had received on-farm slaughter training.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Stress

Go to document

Occurrence and reasons for on-farm emergency slaughter of cattle in Norway

Gíslína Skúladóttir, Ingrid Hunter-Holmøy, Clare Joan Phythian, Guro Myhrene, Adam Dunstan Martin

Published in 2022

Scientific article identifying the main reasons for emergency on-farm slaughter of cattle in Norway based on data from four slaughterhouses, in 2018. These were locomotive problems (46%), recumbent cows (23%), vaginal prolapse and dystocia (17%).

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Stress

Go to document

A systematic review of equid welfare at slaughter

K.A. Fletcher, G. Limon, L.J. Whatford, A. Grist, T.G. Knowles, T.J. Gibson

Published in 2022

Scientific review that reveals a lack of published studies assessing welfare levels in equines at slaughter, particularly donkeys and mules in low-income countries, and highlights the need to develop an evidence-based knowledge base to improve guidance in this area.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

Go to document

Pre-slaughter stress mitigation in goats: Prospects and challenges

Pavan Kumar, Abubakar Ahmed Abubakar, Muideen Adewale Ahmed, Muhammad Nizam Hayat, Ubedullah Kaka, Mirian Pateiro, Awis Qurni Sazili, Louwrens C. Hoffmann, Jose M.Lorenzo

Published in 2022

Scientific review of pre-slaughter stress factors, the associated indicators and the methods of management specific to goats, in order to facilitate decision making to minimize pre-slaughter stress in goats and improve goat meat quality.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Caprines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Carcass quality, Societal issues, Stress, Transport

Go to document

Investigating the impact of pre-slaughter management factors on indicators of fed beef cattle welfare - a scoping review

Melissa Davis, Paxton Sullivan, Jimena Breton, Lauren Dean, Lily N. Edwards-Callaway

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying that pre-slaughter management factors related to transport and handling, and behavioral and physiological welfare indicators were the topics most commonly addressed in studies on the relationships between pre-slaughter management factors and welfare of beef cattle at slaughter.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress, Transportation

Go to document

Sénat : réponse écrite à la question n°01929 : Règles régissant l’abattage des animaux de consommation

Question: Jean-Louis Masson (Moselle - NI) Answer: Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty

Published in 2022

Answer to a question on why, given that several European Union member countries have banned ritual slaughter involving the cutting of the throats of live of animals for human consumption, such bans should be deemed compatible with European law in some countries but not in France.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Bovines, Caprines, Ovines, Porcines, Poultry

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

Go to document