Areas of Routine Violations (cont'd)
Once at the slaughterhouse, the crates are removed from the trailer by hand,
and tossed - without regard to the fragile and often injured birds inside, onto a
moving conveyor belt. From here the crates will be opened, the birds grabbed
by one leg, and live-hung in the metal leg shackles.
Violations
Federal Health of Animals Act
Part XII Transportation of Animals
Loading and Unloading Equipment
139.(1) "No person shall beat an animal being loaded or unloaded in a way likely to cause injury or undue
suffering to it.
139.(2) No person shall load or unload, or cause to be loaded or unloaded, an animal in a way likely to cause
injury or undue suffering to it.
Recommendations
CETFA recommends that:
·
Manual catching, carrying, loading and unloading be replaced with automated catching
machines appropriately designed to minimize trauma to the birds.
·
Birds not be removed manually from their crates at the slaughterhouse but rather that the entire
crate be moved into a humane inert gas-stunning unit for stunning and slaughter.
·
In the case of auctions, birds must be carried upright with their bodies supported.
References
Gregory, N.G., and L.J. Wilkins. 1990. Broken bones in chickens: effect of stunning and processing in
broilers. British Poultry Science 31: 33-38.
Gregory, N.G., and S.D. Austin. 1992. Causes of trauma in broilers arriving dead at poultry processing
plants. Veterinary Record 131: 501-503.
Gregory, N.G. 1998. Animal Welfare and Meat Science. CABI Publishing, Chapter 10, pp. 183-194.
Rosales, A.G. 1994. Managing Stress in Broiler Breeders: A Review. Journal of Applied Poultry
Research 3: 199-207.
Shane, S. Mechanical harvesting the promise and the reality. Poultry, Feb.-March 2002, pp. 44-45.
Turner, J., et al., The Welfare of Broiler Chickens in the European Union, Compassion in World
Farming Trust, 2003. www.ciwf.co.uk
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