Page 32

Areas of Routine Violations (cont'd)

Slaughter

D-1

Electrified Stun Bath

Electric stunning whereby the upside-down shackled birds have their heads dragged through an
electrified saltwater stun bath is the most frequently used form of "stunning" in Canadian poultry
slaughterhouses. The use of electric shock water replaced traditional debraining through the birds'
mouth or eyes in the 1930s and 1940s.

The purpose of the electrified water is not to render the birds unconscious or even pain-free, but rather
to slacken their neck muscles and contract the wing muscles for proper positioning of their heads for
the automatic neck-cutting blades. The electrical current also immobilizes the birds, preventing
excessive struggling as the blood drains from their necks, and loosens their feathers for easier removal.

While the bird's head is submerged in the electrified water-bath, currents shoot through their skin,
breast muscles, cardiac muscles and leg muscles causing spasms and tremors, reducing heartbeat
and breathing, and increasing blood pressure. When the birds exit the stun-bath, their necks are
arched, their eyes are open, their wings are tucked, their legs are extended and rigid, their tail feathers
are turned up and shuddering, and a number of them will have defecated (Bilgili, 136, 142 cited in
Davis, K 1996).

Research indicates that acceptable and necessary electric current levels must be a minimum of 120
mA per bird and that currents under 75 mA per bird should never be used (Gregory and Wotton, 219).
In fact, commonly used levels in European poultry slaughterhouses are even higher at 140 mA.
However, because high levels of current are costly and are believed to cause damage to the meat by
breaking capillaries resulting in "bloody bird" (Kuenzel cited in Davis, K 1996), low currents are used in
North American poultry slaughterhouses. Our own experience confirms this as CETFA investigators
visiting Canadian poultry slaughterhouses noted that the electric current used was far lower than what
research has indicated as necessary. Some researchers in the United States are finding even lower
"stunning" levels in use: "Industry is trying to stay at 25mA and below due to hemorrhaging" (Webster
2002 cited in Davis, K 1996).

"Low voltage is Cheap: CETFA's Investigative Team has managed to witness all
"accepted" methods of slaughter, noting that electric stunning voltage in Canada
is far below that used in Britain (generally 70 amps compared to 140 amps).
(Canadians for the Ethical Treatment of Food Animals. Rethink the Way We
Live...2004)

"The complexity of multiple bird waterbath stunning is not conducive to
maintaining good welfare. Effectiveness of the stun cannot be determined. The
method, widely practiced because it is simple and cheap, cannot be controlled.
You can't control the amount of electrical current flowing through a bird. You
can't harmonize electrical resistance in broiler chickens. The waterbath has to be
replaced." (Dr. Mohan Raj, USDA Seminar, December 16, 2004).

Even under "ideal" conditions, birds who are stunned (rendered unconscious) and those who are
merely paralyzed look the same (Gregory 1986; Boyd 224). Nobel laureate, Professor A.V. Hill, stated
of the electrified stunbaths used for dogs and cats in the 1920s that the baths "were likely to cause
great pain although this would be masked by muscular paralysis." The animal who appeared
unconscious was likely to be "fully conscious and in agony for some time before unconsciousness and
death supervened" (WFPA, 12 cited in Davis, K 1996).