| Title: | Stunning of pigs with different gas mixtures: Behavioural and physiological reactions |
| Author(s): | Terlouw EMC; Deiss V; Astruc T; |
| Address: | "Universite Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, F-63122 Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France. Electronic address: claudia.terlouw@inrae.fr. Universite Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, UMR Herbivores, F-63122 Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France. INRAE, QuaPA, F-63122 Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108452 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-4138 (Electronic) 0309-1740 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The present study used thirty-one pigs to investigate induction of unconsciousness and behavioural reactions in different gas mixtures: 80% CO(2)/air, 90 s; 40% CO(2)/30% O(2)/air, 180 s; 70% N(2)O/30% CO(2), 90 s. All pigs lost consciousness. All presented respiratory difficulties and most pigs involuntary muscle contractions, often before loss of standing posture. Between mixtures, average latencies of certain behaviours and delays between behaviours differed. Following immersion, blood pH was lower than normal. The low pH induced by the CO(2)/O(2)/air mixture was physiologically associated with hyperoxemia. Relationships between blood gases, different behavioural and heart rate responses are discussed. In conclusion, all mixtures caused discomfort due to respiratory difficulties and the addition of O(2) or N(2)O to the CO(2) mixture did not present an advantage" |
| Keywords: | "Abattoirs Animal Welfare Animals Behavior, Animal/drug effects Carbon Dioxide/*pharmacology Consciousness/*drug effects Hydrogen-Ion Concentration/drug effects Muscle Contraction/drug effects Nitrous Oxide/*pharmacology Oxygen/pharmacology Respiration/dru;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineTerlouw, E M Claudia Deiss, Veronique Astruc, Thierry eng England 2021/02/16 Meat Sci. 2021 May; 175:108452. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108452. Epub 2021 Jan 29" |
