The Use of a Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt for the Euthanasia of Neonate Piglets

Abstract

Simple SummaryThe humane destruction of newborn piglets (neonates), when required, is an issue faced by farmers and producers. The application of blunt force trauma, either through swinging the animal against a wall, or hitting it with a weighted object, is a stressful procedure for the stock person and has implications for the animal in terms of welfare, instantaneous effect and reproducibility. The United Kingdom government funded this project to find a single application method that could be used on farms that would produce an immediate kill with these animals. This project demonstrates that the use of a mechanical captive bolt device, that does not enter the head, delivers sufficient energy when applied to the head of a piglet to immediately destroy the brain leading to the death of the animal. This method will improve animal welfare on farms, as well as providing producers with a device that they can be confident will kill the animal without pain, as the brain is destroyed before the animal can perceive a pain nerve impulse.AbstractThe most common method for the on-farm euthanasia of neonate piglets is reported to be manual blunt force trauma. This paper presents the results of research to evaluate a mechanical non-penetrating captive bolt (the Accles and Shelvoke CASH small animal tool, Birmingham, UK) to produce an immediate stun/kill with neonate piglets. One hundred and forty-seven piglets (average dead weight = 1.20 kg ± 0.58 (standard deviation, SD), mean age = 5.8 days (median = 3)) were euthanized with the device and demonstrated immediate loss of consciousness, subjectively assessed by behavioural signs and no recovery. The result that 147 out of 147 animals were effectively stun/killed gives a 95% confidence interval for the true percentage of animals that would be effectively stun/killed of 97.5–100% with the use of the CASH small animal tool under the conditions of the current study. This research concludes that the CASH small animal tool, using a 1 grain brown coded cartridge, is suitable for producing a stun/kill in neonate piglets when applied in a frontal/parietal position.

Use of a Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt for Euthanasia of Neonate Goats

“…The caudal shot position (ventral position H, Figure 4 ) employed with these animals (kids) led to less macroscopic physical damage to the cerebrum when compared with the other species (piglets and lambs) tested [ 10 , 11 , 14 ].…”

“…Of the 158 kids shot in the revised position, 2 animals (1.27%) displayed agonal breathing movements post shot, but no behavioural indicators of brain function. Agonal breathing is quite distinct from the rhythmic breathing associated with perceived consciousness [ 22 ], and has been discussed by Grist et al [ 10 , 11 , 14 ] and is due to factors separate to those for consciousness; representing a form of residual brain stem activity that ultimately progresses to the death of the animal.…”

“…Previous research [ 10 , 11 ] has shown that the following measures allow assessment of the effectiveness of the application, i.e., the absence of: Rhythmic breathing. This is controlled by the medulla in the brainstem and is the most reliable indicator of a stun, and if it does not return, cortical brain death (stun/kill).…”

“…The detailed design and operation of the CASH Small Animal Tool is described in another paper [ 10 ]. Essentially, the device is a non-penetrating captive bolt that delivers a kinetic energy of 47 Joules using a 1 grain brown coded 0.22″ calibre blank cartridge [ 10 ].…”

“…The detailed design and operation of the CASH Small Animal Tool is described in another paper [ 10 ]. Essentially, the device is a non-penetrating captive bolt that delivers a kinetic energy of 47 Joules using a 1 grain brown coded 0.22″ calibre blank cartridge [ 10 ]. The manufacturer informed the research team that the updated device had been proofed to 1 grain rather than the higher powered 1.25 grain pink coded cartridge as used in the previous study.…”