Neck Dislocation

Neck dislocation may be preferable to neck cutting following the stunning of diseased casualty birds, to avoid the risk of disease spread from spillage of blood and bodily fluids. Neck dislocation kills the bird by a combination of rupturing the spinal cord, which stops breathing, and by disrupting the blood flow to the brain by rupturing the blood vessels in the neck.

Neck dislocation without prior stunning has been widely used as a method of killing poultry. However, research findings have suggested that neck dislocation does not consistently concuss the brain and it is unlikely to cause immediate insensibility.

Neck dislocation without prior stunning is therefore not recommended for the routine slaughter of poultry and must only be used in an emergency or for the slaughter of very small numbers of birds where better methods are not available. Certain Laws apply when slaughtering birds by neck dislocation in some countries. In the EU and UK, neck dislocation must not be used as a routine method but only when no better method is available and may not be performed on more than 70 birds in a day by one person. Weight restrictions also apply.

Electrical or concussion stunning followed by neck-cutting or neck dislocation are more appropriate, humane methods of killing poultry.

Next: Neck Dislocation Techniques