Efficiency of bleeding of broilers after gaseous or electrical stunning
Mohan Raj, A.B.; Gregory, N.G.
Veterinary Record 128(6): 127-128
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 1903005 Document Number: 370109
The efficiency of bleeding of broilers (g blood/kg liveweight) was measured after stunning them with either 45% carbon dioxide in air for two minutes or with 2% oxygen (achieved by displacing air with argon) for two minutes or with an electric current (77 or 104 mA at 50 Hz for 4 seconds). The results indicated that the initial rate of bleeding was higher in the electrically stunned broilers with non-fibrillated hearts than in the gas stunned broilers and electrically stunned broilers with fibrillated hearts. This difference was significant up to 60 seconds after neck cutting but after 140 seconds all the broilers had bled out to a similar extent (30 to 33 g/kg liveweight). It is concluded that after gas stunning the time interval between neck cutting and scalding should be 60 to 140 seconds.