Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T08:10:31.241Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Welfare Implications of the Gas Stunning of Pigs 2. Stress of Induction of Anaesthesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

ABM Raj  and
N G Gregory
ABM Raj*
Affiliation:
Division of Food Animal Science, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford Bristol BS18 7DY
N G Gregory
Affiliation:
Division of Food Animal Science, Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford Bristol BS18 7DY Faculty of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand
*
† Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The severity of respiratory distress occurring prior to loss of posture during exposure to: 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 per cent carbon dioxide in air; 2 or 5 per cent residual oxygen in argon; 30 per cent carbon dioxide in argon with either 2 or 5 per cent residual oxygen; or 40 per cent carbon dioxide in argon with either 2 or 5 per cent residual oxygen, was subjectively determined in pigs from their behaviour. The results indicated that exposure to 2 per cent oxygen in argon (anoxia) induced minimal respiratory distress, 30 per cent carbon dioxide in argon with 2 per cent residual oxygen induced a moderate distress and exposure to all the concentrations of carbon dioxide in air induced severe respiratory distress in the pigs. From the animal welfare point of view, using 2 per cent oxygen in argon (anoxia) appears to be the optimum choice for gas stunning pigs. Secondly, a mixture of 30 per cent carbon dioxide in argon with 2 per cent residual oxygen is preferred to 90 per cent carbon dioxide in air.

Keywords

animal welfareargonaversioncarbon dioxideinhalationpigsstunning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , February 1996 , pp. 71 - 78
Copyright
© 1996 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Forslid, A 1991 Pre-slaughter CO2-anaesthesia in swine-NeurophysioIogical and ethical aspects. In: Proceedings of 37th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology pp 242-244. Kulmbach, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Forslid, A 1992 Muscle spasms during pre-slaughter CO2-anaesthesia in pigs. Ethical considerations. Fleischwirtschaft 72: 167–168Google Scholar
Gregory, N G, Mohan Raj, A B, Audsley, A R S and Daly, C C 1990 Effect of CO2 on man. Fleischwirtschaft 70: 1173–1174Google Scholar
Hoenderken, R, Van Logtestjin, J G, Sybesma, W and Spanjaard, W J M 1979 Kohlendioxid-Betaubung von Schlachtschweinen. Fleischwirtschaft 59: 1572–1578Google Scholar
Raj, ABM and Gregory, N G 1995 Welfare implications of gas stunning pigs 1. Aversiveness to the initial inhalation of carbon dioxide. Animal Welfare 4CrossRefGoogle Scholar