Effect of electrical hybrid-frequency water bath stunning on the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) of broilers [article]

Leonardo Thielo de La Vega, Denis Sato, Luciana V Piza, Ernane Jose Xavier Costa
2021 bioRxiv   pre-print
Concerns about animal welfare and meat quality have encouraged research on new methods for the stunning of broilers during animal slaughter. In this study, the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) of broilers were acquired during stunning using an electrical hybrid instead of a single frequency. Considering a square wave with a current of 220 mA and a frequency of 1100 Hz (duty-cycle 50%), the hybrid-frequency waveform is obtained generating pulses at 6600 Hertz in the
more » ... dth phase. Sixty broilers aged 42 days were randomly sampled; thirty were used for EEG measurement and thirty for ECG measurement. For EEG measurements, the birds' scalps were anesthetized, and EEG electrode needles were inserted on the subcutaneous part of the occipital scalp. For ECG, the non-invasive surface electrode was used. The electrodes were connected to a digital EEG/ECG system. The results showed that the hybrid-frequency waveform system generated epileptic forms in the birds' EEGs. Therefore, a hybrid-frequency system may present better carcass quality results, while preserving the birds' welfare, when compared with a single frequency system use. Keywords: poultry; unconsciousness; electrical stunning; animal welfare
doi:10.1101/2021.08.02.454822 fatcat:z7ldybpvjzalrfyv5nfwhho3sm