B. Lambooij et al., EFFECT OF A LOW-VOLTAGE WITH A HIGH-FREQU ENCY ELECTRICAL STUNNING ONUNCONSCIOUSNESS IN SLAUGHTER PIGS, Die Fleischwirtschaft, 76(10), 1996, pp. 1026-1028
Effects of low voltage and high frequency electrical stunning of slaug
hter pigs was examined. Forty slaughter pigs were positioned for stunn
ing while lying on a beam in a cage and stunned with 240 V with 800 Hz
during 3 s passing the brain and 125 V with 50 Hz during 3 s passing
the heart. Before the treatment the animals were equipped with electro
encephalogram and electrocardiogram electrodes. Behaviour and reflexes
were observed. After stunning the pigs showed a widened pupil, uncoor
dinated corneal reflexes and no reaction to needle stitches in the leg
. The external appearance existed of a tonic cramp, alternatively clon
ic cramps followed by relaxation. All pigs showed the characteristics
of a general epileptiform insult on the EEG and a fibrillation except
one with a cardiac arrest on the ECG. It was concluded that electrical
head stunning using this high frequency combined with heart stunning
using this low frequency is an effective method of stunning slaughter
pigs.