Stunning And Slaughter

The following sections will help you decide on a humane and practical method of slaughter for the size, species and number of birds to be killed.

Slaughter methods usually involve a two-stage process of (i) inducing loss of consciousness and (ii) causing the death of the animal. Loss of consciousness must last until death is caused by bleeding or neck dislocation. The process of inducing loss of consciousness is referred to in this guide as 'stunning'.

There are some situations when the law does not require that birds are first made unconscious. For example, in slaughter by Jewish or Muslim methods when religious authorities prohibit stunning (in the EU this is permitted only within a slaughterhouse).

In this guide, the methods for stunning and slaughter of poultry have been divided into:

• Electrical Stunning (followed by Neck Cutting or Neck Dislocation)
• Concussion Stunning (followed by Neck Cutting or Neck Dislocation)
• Neck Dislocation
• Gas Killing
• Other Methods