[Physiologic reactions during the slaughter of cattle and sheep with and without stunning]

In a first trial the cortical activity of cattle and sheep was tested using only an electrocorticogram (ECoG). The results showed a shorter phase after sticking or the ritual slaughter cut respectively, until the ECoG disappears in stunned animals. However, considering the time between stunning and the cervical state, the interval until disappearance of the ECoG was prolonged in the stunned animals. The observed time differences, however, are only a tendency and not statistically confirmed. Insofar, concerning animal protection, the different slaughter methods could be regarded equivalent. A second trial was designed in a manner to allow a more exact interpretation of the ECoGs and was completed by measuring visually and somatosensorically evoked potentials. Additionally, in contrast to the first trial, only adult cattle were used here. The results revealed shorter intervals until disappearance of cortical activities when using captive-bolt stunning. Also the variance was much lower in this trial than after ritual slaughter. The mean of the time differences was relatively low (5.5 seconds). It was especially remarkable that after captivebolt stunning absolutely no evoked potentials could be registrated, whereas these potentials lasted for 77 seconds (somatosensorically evoked potentials) and 55 seconds respectively (visually evoked potentials) after the ritual slaughter cut. Thus, after ritual slaughter a nervous conduction was measured up to 126 seconds in the extreme cases. However, from the results obtained it can not be concluded whether or not pain sensitivity occurred in the animals.