Highly Effective Frontal Stunning Procedure Using a Pneumatic Penetrating Captive Bolt in Water Buffaloes

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Animal Welfare
• Agricultural Engineering

Background:

• Assessing humane stunning methods is crucial for animal welfare in livestock processing.
• Pneumatic penetrating captive bolt (PPCB) stunning is widely used but requires precise anatomical targeting for efficacy.
• Water buffaloes present unique anatomical considerations for effective stunning procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal anatomical site for frontal stunning in water buffaloes using a PPCB.
• To validate the efficacy of the identified stunning procedure in a larger cohort of water buffaloes.

Main Methods:

• Two-phase study involving 352 water buffaloes and 168 post-mortem heads to locate the target site.
• Validation phase with 182 water buffaloes to assess stunning effectiveness at the determined site.
• Utilized high air pressure (1379-1516.8 KPa / 200-220 psi) with a PPCB.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal stunning site: 8 cm dorsal above the forehead's midline, 2 cm lateral to the midline.
• Achieved 95.1% effective stunning on the first shot, indicated by collapse, absence of breathing, and ocular reflexes.
• No significant differences in stunning efficacy were observed based on sex, breed, or skull thickness.

Conclusions:

• The PPCB, when applied at high pressure to the identified anatomical site, provides a highly effective and reliable frontal stunning method for water buffaloes.
• This procedure ensures humane handling and processing of water buffaloes, meeting welfare standards.
• The findings offer practical guidance for abattoirs and farms handling water buffalo populations.