Introduction

Biological principles and the handling sections have aimed to provide a greater understanding of the animals being slaughtered by providing further knowledge of the basic criteria such as physiology and important behaviours, as well as practical handling during home slaughter and at the slaughterhouse. For the welfare of the animal, it is important to take basic biological principles into account when handling and fixing the animal in position. Furthermore, the actual stunning process must be effective, along with the check to ensure that the animal has lost consciousness before continuing to work with the body. The quality of the stunning is assessed when checking unconsciousness, and this is crucial to ensure that the animal is not subjected to unnecessary suffering. It is equally important to be aware of what to do in the event of insufficient stunning, i.e. which reserve method ought to be used.

Learning targets and estimated time required for the module      

The aim of this section is to ensure that after completing this course, you can:

• Describe what types of stunning method are permitted when stunning reindeer prior to slaughter.
• Describe suitable indicators when checking stunning quality.
• Give examples of different types of restraint prior to mechanical stunning.
• Provide a general explanation of the stunning function of mechanical stunning.
• Describe appropriate actions in the event of insufficient stunning results.

Time required: It is estimated that you will need about 15 minutes to study the content in the module, which is 8 pages long. Your browser’s address bar at the top of the page shows you which page you are on.