Changes in the somatosensory evoked potentials and spontaneous electroencephalogram of hens during stunning with a...

A previous investigation indicated that when hens were exposed to 2% oxygen in argon (anoxia) EEG suppression and loss of SEPs occurred at 17 and 29 s after exposure. In this study, hens were exposed to 49% carbon dioxide in air (hypercapnic hypoxia) or 31% carbon dioxide with 2% oxygen in argon (hypercapnic anoxia) and their spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were investigated. The results indicated that EEG suppression and loss of SEPs occurred in 11 and 26 s, respectively, in hypercapnic hypoxia. These events occurred at 11 and 19 s, respectively, after exposure to hypercapnic anoxia. These results indicated that, with regard to preslaughter stunning/killing of chickens, a mixture of 31% carbon dioxide with 2% oxygen in argon resulted in a more rapid loss of evoked responses in the brain when compared with 49% carbon dioxide in air or with 2% oxygen in argon. It is concluded that stunning chickens with low concentrations of carbon dioxide in argon would result in a more rapid loss of consciousness.