Animal Handling Guidelines July 2013 Rev.1

8/21/2019 Animal Handling Guidelines July 2013 Rev.1

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Recommended Animal Handling

Guidelines & Audit Guide:

A Systematic Approach to Animal Welfare

Published by

Wrien by Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

Professor of Animal ScienceDepartment of Animal ScienceColorado State University

With

Amrica Mat Itt Aima War Cmmi

Cered and Accredited by the Professional Animal Auditor Cercaon Organizaon ACCREDITED PROGRAM

Professional AnimalAuditor Certification

Organization Inc.

AMERICAN MEATINSTITUTE Foundation

JULY 2013EDITION,Rev.1



TAble of ConTenTs

ec smmar a Hitrica Prpc ........................................................................................................... 1

Chag t th 2012 ei .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Chaptr o: Traprta Pracc ........................................................................................................................ 5

Secon 1: Temperature Management......................................................................................... ..................... 6

Secon 2: Pen Space and Facility Layout.................................................................................. ........................ 9

Chaptr Tw: Rcmm Aima Haig Gii............................................................. ........................... 11

Secon 1: Recommended Livestock Handling Principles......................................................... ..................... 11

Secon 2: Livestock Driving Tools............................................................................................ ........................ 15

Secon 3: Proper Design and Use of Restraint.......................................................................... ......................17

Secon 4: Recommended Stunning Pracces........................................................................... ..................... 19

Secon 5: Religious Slaughter (Kosher and Halal)................................................................... ....................... 29

Secon 6: Recommended Handling of Disabled or Crippled Livestock................................... ......................31

Chaptr Thr: Traprta Ait Gii............................................................................... .......................... 32

Secon 1: Auditor Instrucons and Informaon......................................................................... .................... 32

Secon 2: Scoring............................................................................................................................................... 33

Core Criteria 1: Plant Transportaon Policy and Preparedness for Receiving Animals............. ................... 33

Core Criteria 2: Set-up and Loading of Trailer............................................................................ ...................... 37

Core Criteria 3: Timeliness of Arrival of the Truck and Trailer and Animal Unloading............ ..................... 39

Core Criteria 4: Falls........................................................................................... ................................................41

Core Criteria 5: Electric Prod Use.................................................................................................................... ...41

Core Criteria 6: Condion of Animal............................................................................................... .................. 42

Core Criteria 7: Willful Acts of Abuse.......................................................................................... ..................... 44

Chaptr fr: Aig Aima Haig a stig................................................................... ............................ 45

Core Criteria 1: Eecve Stunning............................................................................................ ....................... 45

Core Criteria 2: Bleed Rail Insensibility.................................................................................... ........................ 47

Core Criteria 3: Falling.............................................................................................................. ........................ 48

Core Criteria 4: Vocalizaon...................................................................................................... ....................... 49

Core Criteria 5: Electric Prod Use.............................................................................................. ........................51

Core Criteria 6: Willful Acts of Abuse....................................................................................... ....................... 52

Core Criteria 7: Access to Water................................................................................................ ...................... 52

Scoring of Very Small Plants....................................................................................................... ........................ 53

Chaptr fi: ocia AMI fa Ait frm....................................................................... ............................. 55

Transportaon Audit Form ............................................................................................................................ 60

Cale Slaughter Audit Form .......................................................................................................................... 76

Pig Slaughter Audit Form ............................................................................................................................... 86Sheep Slaughter Audit Form........................................................................................................ ...................... 99

Chaptr si: Trhg Gi................................................................................................... ......................... 109

Chaptr s: Wrr sat Tip r Aima Har a str........................................ ......................... 114

Rrc................................................................................................................................................ ........................ 116

Appendix..................................................................................................................................................................... 118



1

exeCuTIve suMMARy And HIsToRICAl PeRsPeCTIveTe Humane Methods o Slaughter Act o 1958 was the first ederal law governing the handling o livestock in

meat plants. Te 1958 law applied only to livestock that were slaughtered or sale to the government. In 1978,

the Humane Methods o Slaughter Act was reauthorized and covered all livestock slaughtered in ederally

inspected meat plants. As a result o the Act, ederal veterinarians are in meat packing plants continuously,

monitoring compliance with humane slaughter regulations. Additional guidance is ound in the Code oFederal Regulations and in specific USDA regulations and notices.

Te American Meat Institute Foundation (AMIF) has a demonstrated commitment to voluntary animal

handling programs that go above and beyond regulatory requirements.

In 1991, the American Meat Institute (AMI) published Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines for Meat

Packers, the first voluntary animal welare guidelines or meat packing operations. Authored by emple

Grandin, Ph.D., o Colorado State University, the illustrated guidelines offered detailed inormation about

optimal handling o animals, how to troubleshoot animal handling problems in packing plants, how to stun

animals effectively and maintain equipment thoroughly and how to move non-ambulatory animals while

minimizing stress. Te guidelines were implemented widely by members o the meat packing industry.

In 1997, Dr. Grandin developed a new document called Good Management Practices (GMPs) for Animal

Handling and Stunning. Te new document detailed measurable, objective criteria that could be used to

evaluate the well-being o livestock in meat packing plants. Sel-audits using the criteria were recommended

in an effort to identiy and address any problems and sustain continuous improvement. When the GMPs

were developed and implemented, they were envisioned as a tool or use voluntarily by meat companies. In

the years that ollowed, major restaurant chains began developing animal welare committees and conducting

audits o their meat suppliers. Tey utilized the AMIF Good Management Practices as their audit tool.

Beginning in 1999, compliance with AMIF’s GMPs became part o many customer purchasing specifications.

In 2004, AMI Animal Welare Committee determined that the two animal welare documents should be

merged into a single, updated document that included official AMIF audits or pig, cattle and sheep slaughter.

Official orms can be recognized by the use o the official AMIF logo. Te orms can be reormatted to suit

corporate needs, but any change to the numerical criteria on the orms would make the audit inconsistent

with the AMIF audit. Te merged document was released in 2005. In 2007, the document was updated based

upon eedback rom the field and key clarifications were added. Te AMI Animal Welare Committee also

recommended that the audits include measurement o slips and alls.

Relative to other areas o scholarly research, only limited basic research has been conducted in the area

o animal welare. Te objective criteria in the document were developed based on survey data collected

over time in plants throughout the United States. Te AMI Animal Welare Committee, together with Dr.

emple Grandin, have determined what “targets” are reasonably achievable when plants employ good animal

handling and stunning practices.

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2

AMIF’s audit guidelines recommend that companies conduct both internal (sel-audits) weekly and thirdparty audits annually using the ollowing AMI Core Criteria:

• Effective Stunning

• Hot Wanding (Pigs only)

• Bleed Rail Insensibility• Falls

• Vocalizations

• Electric Prod Use

• Most critical are Willul Acts o Abuse (Egregious Acts).

Any willul act o abuse is grounds or automatic audit ailure. Willul acts o abuse include, but are notlimited to:

1) Dragging a conscious, non-ambulatory animal; 2) intentionally applying prods to sensitive parts o the

animal such as the eyes, ears, nose, anus or testicles; 3) deliberate slamming o gates on livestock; 4) maliciousdriving o ambulatory livestock on top o one another either manually or with direct contact with motorizedequipment. Tis excludes loading a non-ambulatory animal or transport.; 5) hitting or beating an animal;or 6) animals rozen to the floor or sides o the trailer. In sheep operations, lifing an animal by the wool orthrowing a sheep also is an act o abuse.

Te Committee acknowledges, however, that audits represent a “snapshot in time.” Many variables can impactaudit outcomes, especially when live animals are involved. Tese can include:

• Change in plant personnel. It may take time or a new employee to become as skilled an animal handleras more experienced employee. However, willul acts o abuse can NEVER be tolerated.

• Breed, age and gender o livestock. Tese actors all can affect temperament.

• Previous handling or lack o handling and human contact at the arm level. Animals that areaccustomed to seeing people generally are less skittish at the plant.

• Weather. Livestock sometimes react to weather or seasonal changes, like a thunderstorm.

• Auditor influence. Auditors play a critical role in the assessment o humane handling and must have theappropriate expertise and the ability to interact with plant personnel during the audit.

For these reasons, audits should be considered a process and trends should be considered along with eachspecific audit result to determine i results are an anomaly or a pattern. A plant’s proposed corrective/preventive measures and ollow-up also should be considered.

Te numeric criteria in the audit were developed based upon pooled audit data and the proessional judgmento the author with input rom the reviewers. While it is essential to set numeric targets, the mere act oauditing, measuring and tracking will help companies manage more effectively and will contribute toward

improved animal welare.

Just as plants strive or continuous improvement based on new practices and inormation, so, too, the AMIF

will strive or continuous improvement and refinement o this document. Te general recommendations and

the audit criteria are based on real data and observation. However, as additional research is completed and

new inormation is generated, the AMIF will seek to improve and update these documents.

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3

ethica, Rgatr a ecmic bt

Optimal livestock handling is extremely important to meat packers or obvious ethical reasons. Once live-stock – cattle, pigs and sheep—arrive at packing plants, proper handling procedures are not only importantor the animal’s well-being, they can also mean the difference between profit and loss. Research clearly dem-onstrates that many meat quality benefits can be gained through careul, quiet animal handling. In addition,

the Humane Slaughter Act o 1978, the regulations that evolved rom it, as well as more than two decades oFSIS Directives and Notices, dictate strict humane handling and slaughtering standards or packing plants.Tis booklet provides practical inormation that can be used to develop animal handling programs and totrain employees in the principles o good animal handling practices.

Maagmt Cmmitmt

A key actor in establishing and maintaining optimal animal handling and stunning in plants is a clearlycommunicated management commitment to animal handling. op management must play an active role.Tis commitment can include:

• An animal welare mission statement that is widely circulated and/or posted visibly in various

places in a plant.

• A program o ongoing monitoring and measurement o animal handling and stunning practices

and outcomes (See Chapter 2).

• Regular internal training and providing opportunities to attend outside training programs.

• Recognition and/or rewards or jobs well done. Tese can take a variety o orms such as mentions

in a company newsletter, a congratulatory email or memo, the opportunity to attend the AMI Animal

Care & Handling Conerence, a pizza party or a small cash award or actions above and beyond

the call o duty.

Tis manual provides employees and managers with inormation that will help them improve both handling

and stunning. Proper animal handling is not only an important ethical goal, it helps also ensure that the

industry operates saely, efficiently and profitably.

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4

suMMARy of 2012 CHAnGes The AMI Foundation Animal Care and Handling Guidelines & Audit Guide is a living, breathing document that seeks

to embrace new research, industry practices and practical feedback. The 2012 version was the rst revision since the new

transportation audit was released in 2010. While the transportation audit was eld tested prior to its release, we received

extensive feedback about it once it was truly in a commercial test.

Many o the concerns raised centered on undamental math. Te scoring o the transportation audit is ar more compleand considers many more minute details than the plant audit. Given this, we came to realize that in some instances,

depending upon how many trucks were being audited, a single missing point or an item related to truck set up, or example

could cause a plant to ail the criteria and in turn the entire audit. While we attempted to consider these in advance, we had

not calculated every potential scenario and, in turn, every mathematical equation that could arise. It was never our intent

to require perection in order to pass; that is simply not achievable.

As a result, the scoring or Set up, Loading and Alignment has been changed. Now, individual trucks are scored and the tot

score is averaged. Te new score requires 80 percent to pass (90 percent was the previous passing score). We chose this number

because it permits a plant to miss one point on that criteria and still pass the audit. We made similar adjustments to imeliness

o Arrival and Animal Unloading, where 85 percent is now required to pass (90 percent was the previous passing score).

In addition, we have long committed ourselves to ocusing on outcomes, yet we realized that our criteria that evaluated

condition o trailer were not outcome ocused. It also became apparent that we were requiring bedding to pass the criteriaand in turn the audit, yet plants in some very warm areas do not use bedding at any time o the year. As a result, we moved

those criteria to the secondary items section with one exception: proper alignment o the trailer with the loading dock. Tat

item was moved to the Set Up and Loading criteria because we believe that proper alignment o trucks with docks is critical

and that ailure to align can have serious and immediate consequences or animal welare.

We recognize that the transportation audit may be challenging or some limited numbers o very small plants that

only receive one truck per day. When that occurs, we believe that the plant should aggregate data rom multiple days or

internal audits. For third party audits, the plant must work directly with its third party audit firm and the customer that is

requesting the audit to reach a workable solution using aggregated data when insufficient truck numbers are available. It is

simply not cost effective or practical to have a third party audit remain at a plant or multiple days to see more than one truck.

On the bee transport audit, we clarified that winter slats and plugs are required or dairy cattle and some cull cattle

only. Finally, we recognized the Canadian Livestock ransporter (CL) Certification Program as an acceptable certificationprogram or livestock haulers.

Regarding the guidelines in general, we edited the chapter that explains the transportation audit. We also changed the

images in the first chapter because we were able to obtain better, clearer images.

We have simplified how scoring is written by using round numbers as opposed to decimal points. Tis change did not

create any significant changes to scoring with the exception o electric stunning o pigs, where excellent now requires 100

percent correct placement (previously the number was 99.5 percent). o achieve an acceptable score, 99 percent correct

placement continues to be required (up rom 99.4 percent). We have also simplified the way that scores are written on the

plant audit and tried to avoid decimal points, though this change does not substantively alter the criteria.

smmar 2013 Chag

In 2013, we made minor additional changes to this document. Tey include a clarification that arrowing on

trucks should be scored in the Swine ransportation Audit in addition to calving and lambing. Te Swine and Sheep

ransportation Audit orms were changed to permit auditors to track arrowing and lambing under Core Criteria Six

(calving was already included on the cattle audit orm). Under Core Criteria Six Secondary Items o the Cattle, Swine and

Sheep ransportation Audit orms , we added a new category called Ambulatory Disabled Animals. We define these anima

on page 44. Finally, under Core Criteria 2 o the Sheep ransportation Audit, we corrected an omission o “compartments

gated.” Tat addition o the scoring o “compartments gated” is reflected in the final scoring sheet, as well.

Approved May 2013 by:

emple Grandin, Ph.D.

And the AMI Animal Welare Committee

suMMARy of CHAnGes



5

CHAPTeR 1: TRAnsPoRTATIon PRACTICesManaging the transportation o livestock involves many variables. Managing these variables may includecareul temperature management, driving practices, trailer design and maintenance and the actual loadingand unloading process result in enhanced livestock welare and improved meat quality.

Te ollowing items should be considered when transporting livestock.

Maintenance—railers should be kept in good repair, should be kept clean (which is especially helpul inpreventing pig skin blemishes) and should have non-slip floors that provide additional traction.

ruck Driving Practices—Careul truck driving helps prevent bruises, shrink and injuries. Sudden stopsand acceleration that is too rapid increases injuries and stress. Selection o routes that are the most direct,but which minimize time on unpaved roads and avoidance o potholes will also provide benefits. Dead onArrival (DOA) and Euthanized on Arrival (SOA) numbers increase dramatically when a vehicle is stopped.Drivers should be encouraged to keep loads moving.

Design—It is essential that

semi-trailers have sufficientheight between decks to preventback injuries. o comply withenvironmental regulations,truck floors should be leakproo to prevent urine andmanure rom dripping onto thehighway and plugs should becleaned out.

Loading—Research showsthat overloading livestocktrucks can increase bruising,dead or injured animals andpoor meat quality.

In 2010, the Federation oAnimal Sciences Societies(FASS) released newtransportation space guidelinesin “Guide or the Care and Useo Agricultural Animals inResearch and eaching.” Tese

space requirements offer soundguidance to ensure welare.

To view a larger chart, see page 120. Source: Federaon of Animal Science Sociees (FASS) 2010

Table 5-2. Recommended minimum area allowances in transportation accommodations forgroups of animals used in agricultural research and teaching1

Species

Average BW

Area per animal

(kg) (lb) (m2) (ft2)

Cattle (calves) 91 200 0.32 3.5136 300 0.46 4.8182 400 0.57 6.4273 600 0.80 8.5

Horned Hornless

(m2) (ft2) (m2) (ft2)

Cattle (mature fed cowsand steers 364 800 1.0 10.9 0.97 10.4

455 1,000 1.2 12.8 1.1 12.0545 1,200 1.4 15.3 1.4 14.5636 1,400 1.8 19.0 1.7 18.0

Small pigs 4.54 10 0.060 0.709.07 20 0.084 0.90

13.60 30 0.093 1.0022.70 50 0.139 1.5027.20 60 0.158 1.7031.20 70 0.167 1.8036.30 80 0.177 1.9040.80 90 0.195 2.10

Winter Summer

Market swine and sows 45 100 0.22 2.4 0.30 3.091 200 0.32 3.5 0.37 4.0

114 250 0.40 4.3 0.46 5.0136 300 0.46 5.0 0.55 6.0182 400 0.61 6.6 0.65 7.0

Shorn Full fleece

Sheep 27 60 0.20 2.1 0.21 2.236 80 0.23 2.5 0.24 2.645 100 0.26 2.8 0.27 3.055 120 0.30 3.2 0.31 3.4

Dimensions Area

(m) (ft) (m2) (ft2)

Loose horses 250 to 500 550 to 1100 0.7 × 2.5 2.3 × 8.2 1.75 18.8

Foals <6 mo 1.0 × 1.4 3.3 × 4.6 1.4 15.2Young horses 6–24 mo 0.76 × 2.0 2.5 × 6.6 1.2 16.5 1.2 × 2.0 3.9 × 6.6 2.4 25.8

1Adapted from data of Grandin (1981, 2007c); Cregier (1982); Whiting and Brandt (2002); Whiting (1999); ILARTransportation Guide (2006); and National Pork Board (2008) Trucker Quality Assurance Handbook .

HANDLING AND TRANSPORT

CHAPTeR 1 | TRAnsPoRTATIon PRACTICes



6

scti 1: TmpratrManagement

emperature extremes can be harmulto livestock, but careul planning and

temperature mitigation strategies canprotect livestock. A combination o heatand humidity must be considered whendetermining how many livestock to load ona truck. Te combination o high heat andhumidity is especially dangerous as depictedin the chart at right, “Livestock WeatherSaety Index.” I you must load and travel inthe danger zone to emergency index areas,load densities should be reduce by 10 to 20percent using good judgement and deliveriesshould be planned at night.

C Wathr TmpratrMaagmt r Pig

Freezing temperatures and wind chillscan be dangerous as well, particularly orpigs. Te combination o cold ambienttemperatures and wind speed can createsignificant wind chill.

For example, i a truck is moving at 40 miles per hour (64 km per hour) in 40°F (4°C) weather, animals can beexposed to a wind chill that makes it eel to the pigs like it is 10°F (12°C). Rain can exacerbate these extremes.

Wind protection should be provided when the air temperature drops below 50°F or 10°C or when wind chillactors are present during transport.

Te ollowing chart offers guidance or truck set-up procedures during temperature extremes.

Trc st–up Prcr drig Tmpratr etrm r Pig

Air Tmp (f) big si sat

Less than 10 Heavy 90% closed 10% open*

10 – 20 Medium 75% closed 25% open*

20 – 40 Medium 50% closed 50% open 40 – 50 Light 25% closed 75% open

More than 50 Light** 0% closed 100% open

*Minimum openings are needed for venlaon even in the coldest weather **Consider using sand or weng bedding if it is not too humid and trucks are moving

Source: Naonal Pork Board, Trucker Quality Assurance Handbook

Heat Stress Chart—The chart provides a guide for plant managers andtruckers to help reduce heat stress of livestock. Hazard to the animal

increases when both temperature and humidity increase. When condions

are in the “alert zone”, truckers need to be careful to keep livestock cool.

When condions get into the danger and emergency zone, try to shi loading

schedules to avoid the hoest part of the day. Problems with heat stress in

pigs may start as low as 60°F (16°C. ) Source: NIAA

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7

Te chart on page five offers rough guidelines or the space that should be provided per running oot o truckfloor or various pig weights when temperatures are below 75°F (24°C). When the Livestock Weather SaetyIndex is in the “Alert” condition, load 10 to 20 percent ewer pigs using good judgement. Pigs that will travelmore than 12 hours may need more space.

C Tmpratr Maagmt r Ca, va a shp

While cattle and sheep are less sensitive than pigs to cold weather, it is still important to manage temperaturesto protect animals and ensure meat quality.

Keeping livestock dry is essential or protecting them rom wind chill. Veal calves also are particularlytemperature sensitive and require special care during transport. ake care in cooler temperatures (below60°F/16°C) to provide straw bedding and plug some air holes in trucks so the calves do not become too cold.Also, it is critical to keep calves dry. I a cal gets wet, it is the equivalent o lowering the outside temperatureby 40-50°F (22-28°C). Cull dairy cows also are subject to cold stress and need to be bedded and boarded.

Ht Wathr Maagmt r Pig

Ensuring that pigs are hydrated prior to transport is extremely important. Hydration also can help preventheat stress. Hot weather and humidity are deadly to pigs because they do not have unctioning sweat glands.Tereore, special precautionary measures must be taken in hot weather conditions.

Use the ollowing procedures to keep animals cool and eliminate unnecessary transport losses duringextreme weather conditions. Pigs are very sensitive to heat stress. Problems with heat stress may start tooccur at 60°F (16°C). At 90°F (32°C) death losses almost double compared to 60°F (16°C).

1. Adjust your load conditions during temperature extremes and reduce load densities.

2. I possible, schedule transportation early in the morning or at night when the temperature is cooler andrelative humidity is lower.

3. Never bed livestock with straw during hot weather, i.e. when the temperature is over 60°F (15°C), use wetsand or small amounts o wet shavings to keep pigs cool. Deep bedding in the summer may increasedeath losses.

4. I the temperature is 80°F (27°C) or higher, wet pigs with water prior to loading at buying stations or onthe arm (use a coarse heavy spray, but not a mist).

5. Remove grain slats rom arm trucks.

6. Open nose vents.

7. Unplug ventilation holes and remove panels.

8. Load and unload promptly to avoid heat buildup.

Stockyards at packing plants should have sufficient capacity so that animals can be promptly unloaded romtrucks and provided cover. Heat builds up rapidly in a stationary vehicle. I trucks can not be unloaded, theymay need to keep driving until they can.

Pig condition in lairage should be monitored as temperatures begin to exceed 70°F (21°C). Facilities shouldhave procedures and equipment available or wetting pigs with water when necessary. For maximum coolingeffect, the sprinklers should have a spray coarse enough to penetrate the hair and wet the skin. Sprinklersthat create a fine mist can increase humidity without penetrating the hair and should not be used. Sprinklersshould be used intermittently to allow evaporative effects to cool animals.

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8

I it is not possible to ollow these recommendations and protect the animals during hot conditions, makeevery effort to postpone the shipment until weather moderates.

In areas o both high humidity and high temperatures, it may be best to cool pigs on waiting trailerswith ans. Tis will prevent humidity build up in the trailer.

When postponing is impossible, trucks should be kept moving and drivers should not be allowed to stopwith a loaded trailer or an extended period o time unless interventions such as water or ans can be utilized.When the truckers reach the plant, livestock must be unloaded promptly. Heat and humidity becomeextremely critical at or above 80°F (27°C) and 80 percent humidity or greater.

Ht Wathr Maagmt r Ca, Ca, shp a Gat

During hot weather, cattle, calves, sheep, and goats should be hauled in early morning or at night wheneverpossible. It is important to keep trucks moving and avoid any unnecessary stops. In addition, livestock

should be unloaded promptly upon arrival at a plant and water must be provided.

dpig a emrgc litc Maagmt Pa

It is essential that plants have an emergency livestock management plan in place. Each plant should assesspotential vulnerabilities based on geographic location, climate and other issues that would require swifaction to assure animal welare. In the event o a long plant breakdown, snow storm, motor vehicle accident,natural disaster, building damage, fire, tornado or other line stoppage, procedures should be in place to stopadditional truck loads o livestock rom arriving at the plant. For animals that cannot be returned to thearm o origin, there should be a designated place, such as an auction yard or stockyard, where they can beunloaded and provided adequate acilities.

Te plan should be kept in a visible location and should be reviewed at least annually.

Te plant also should develop a contingency plan or truckers that may, or example, state that trucks shouldkeep driving under certain conditions until unloading can occur or, i they park at a plant, that ans or water

be used to keep the internal trailer temperature at an optimal level.

CHAPTeR 1 | TRAnsPoRTATIon PRACTICes ConTInued



9

scti 2: P spac a faciit lat

o improve meat quality, pigs should be rested two hours prior to stunning. When possible, animals shouldbe kept in their transport groups. In large plants, pens should be designed to hold one or two truckloads. Aew smaller pens will also be required or small lots.

Pen space allocations may vary depending upon weather conditions, animal sizes and varying holding times.As a rough guideline, 20 sq. eet (1.87 sq. m) should be allotted or each 1,200-pound (545 kg) steer or cowand six sq. eet (0.55 sq. m) per pig. Sows will require 11-12 sq. eet (1.03 – 1.12 sq. m). Mature cull breedingboars may require up to 40sq. eet (3.74 sq. m) per boar to reduce fighting. Another alternative is to pen themindividually. (Source: Swine Care Handbook, National Pork Board, 2003). Small sheep require five sq. eetand large sheep require six sq. eet. Tese stocking rates will provide adequate room or “working space” whenanimals are moved out o the pen. I the animals are stocked in the pen more tightly, it will be more difficultor the handler to empty the pen. Te recommended stocking rates pro vide adequate space or all animals to

lie down (9CFR313.2(e)).

Recommended Handlingfaciit lat

Tis diagram illustrates a modern cattlestockyard and chute system. Animalmovement is one-way and there is nocross traffic. Each long narrow penholds one truckload. Te animals enterthrough one end and leave throughthe other. Te round crowd pen andcurved chute acilitate movement ocattle to the stunner.

faciit lat

Modern cattle acilities have many goodeatures. Te unloading ramps have a10-oot (3 m) level dock or the animalsto walk on beore they go down theramps. Each unloading pen can holda ull truck load. Unloading pens arerecommended or both pig and cattleacilities to acilitate prompt unloading.Long, narrow diagonal pens eliminatesharp corners and provide one-waytraffic flow.

Te round crowd pen and curved singlefile chute take advantage o the naturaltendency o cattle to circle. A curvedchute is more efficient or cattle becauseit takes advantage o their naturalcircling behavior. It also prevents themrom seeing the other end while theyare standing in the crowd pen. A curved chute should be laid out correctly. oo sharp a bend at the junctionbetween the single file chute and the crowd pen will create the appearance o a dead end. In act, all species olivestock will balk i a chute looks like a dead end.

A well-designed, curved chute with solid sides for cale.

CHAPTeR 1: seCTIon 2 | Pen sPACe And fACIlITy lAyouT



10

As a guideline, the recommendedradii (length o crowd gate) are:Cattle, 12 eet; (3.5 m) pigs, 8 eet (2.5m) and sheep, 8 eet (2.5 m). Te basiclayout principles are similar or allspecies, but there is one important

difference. Cattle and sheep crowdpens should have a unnel entranceand pig crowd pens must have anabrupt entrance. Pigs will jam in aunnel. A crowd pen should never beinstalled on a ramp because animalswill pile up in the crowd pen. I rampshave to be used, the sloped portionshould be in the single file chutes.In pig acilities, level stockyards andchute systems with no ramp are mosteffective. Pork acilities should bedesigned on the level with the slope orgrade sufficient or drainage only.

uaig facii

For all species, a plant should havesufficient unloading capacity so truckscan be unloaded promptly. Unloadingramps should have a level dock beorethe ramps go down so that animalshave a level surace to walk on whenthey exit the truck. A good target or

the slope o the ramp is no more than20° (It may go up to 25° i the ramp isadjustable). With concrete ramps, stairsteps are recommended because theyprovide better traction than cleats orgrooves when ramps become dirty.

Attempting to rush livestock duringunloading can be a major cause o bruises,particularly loin bruises. Management should closely supervise truck unloading. For cattle, the recommendedstair step dimensions are 3 ½ inch (10 cm) rise and a 12-inch (30 cm) long tread. I space permits, an 18-inch(45 cm) long tread will create a more gradual ramp. For market pigs, a 2 ½ inch (6.5 cm) rise and a 10-inch

(26 cm) tread works well. On adjustable ramps, cleats with 8 inches (20 cm) o space between them arerecommended. All flooring and ramp suraces should be non-slip to avoid injury.

Round crowd pen with correct number of cale

Well-designed unloading ramp

CHAPTeR 1 | TRAnsPoRTATIon PRACTICes



11

CHAPTeR 2: ReCoMMended AnIMAl HAndlInG GuIdelInes

scti 1: Rcmm litcHandling Principles

Te principles o good livestock handling are similar or the differentspecies. All livestock are herd animals and will become agitated whenseparated rom the others. I a lone animal becomes agitated, place itwith other animals where it is likely to become calmer. Never get in thecrowd pen or other confined space with one or two agitated, excitedlivestock.

urtaig fight Z a Pit baacHandlers who understand the concepts o flight zone and pointo balance will be able to move animals more easily. Te flightzone is the animal’s personal space and the size o the flightzone is determined by the wildness or tameness o the animal.Completely tame animals have no flight zone and people cantouch them. Other animals will begin to move away when thehandler penetrates the edge o the flight zone. I all the animalsare acing the handler, the handler is outside the flight zone.

o keep animals calm and move them easily, the handler should

work on the edge o the flight zone. Te handler penetrates theflight zone to make the animals move and he backs up i hewants them to stop moving. Te best positions are shown on thediagram. Te handler should avoid the blind spot behind theanimal’s rear. Deep penetration o the flight zone shouldbe avoided.

Animals become upset when a person is inside their personalspace and they are unable to move away. I cattle turn back andrun past the handler while they are being driven down a drivealley in the stockyard, overly deep penetration o the flight zone isa likely cause. I animals start to turn back away rom the handler,

the handler should back up and increase distance between himand the animals. Backing up must be done at the first indicationo a turn back.

I a group o animals balks at a smell or a shadow up ahead, bepatient and wait or the leader to cross the shadow. Te otheranimals will ollow. I cattle rear up in the single file chute, backaway rom them. Do not touch them or hit them. Tey are rearingin an attempt to increase the distance between themselves and thehandler. Tey will usually settle down i lef alone.

i l ’

EDGE OF

FLIGHT ZONE

BLIND SPOT

SHADED GRAY

HANDLERS

POSITION TO STOP

MOVEMENT

HANDLERS

POSITION TO START

MOVEMENT

POINT OF BALANCE

Path to move animals forward

Restrainer

Point of

Balance

R e t u r n

p a t h l

e a v i n g

f l i g h t z

o n e.

Cale will move forward when the handler passes thepoint of balance at the shoulder of each animal. The

handler walks in the opposite direcon along side thesingle le race.

Flight Zone Diagram – This diagram shows the correct posions for thehandler to move livestock. To make an animal go forward, he should workon the edge of the ight zone in posions A and B. The handler should standbehind the point of balance to make an animal go forward and in front of

the point of balance at the shoulder to make an animal back up.

Cale move into single le, following the leader.

CHAPTeR 2 | ReCoMMended AnIMAl HAndlInG GuIdelInes



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Pit baac

Te point o balance is at the animal’s shoulder. All species olivestock will move orward i the handler stands behind thepoint o balance. Tey will back up i the handler stands inront o the point o balance. Many handlers make the mistake

o standing in ront o the point o balance while attempting tomake an animal move orward in a chute. Groups o cattle, sheepor pigs in a chute will ofen move orward without proddingwhen the handler walks past the point o balance in the oppositedirection o each animal in the chute. I the animals are movingthrough the chute by themselves, leave them alone. It is notnecessary and not recommended to prod every animal; ofenthey can be moved by lightly tapping.

Mig Aima

Livestock will ollow the leader and handlers need to take

advantage o this natural behavior. Animals will move moreeasily rom the crowd pen into the single file chute when thechute is partially empty. Tis provides space or the animals toimmediately enter the chute and it will reduce the requency oanimals turning around in the crowd pen.

Tis partially empty chute provides room to take advantageo ollowing behavior. Handlers are ofen reluctant to do thisbecause they are araid gaps will orm in the line and slow theprocess. But once a handler learns to use this method, he will findthat keeping up with the line will be easier. As animals enter thecrowd pen, they will head right up the chute.

One o the most common mistakes is overloading the crowd pen that leads to the single file chute. Te crowdpen and the staging alley between the crowd pen and the yards should be filled hal ull so that animals haveroom to turn. Te key is to allow “looseness” o animals within a pen as wedging them tightly into any areawill create resistance to moving orward.

Handlers must also be careul not to push the crowd gate up too tightly on the animals. It ofen works best toleave the crowd gate on the first notch and to let the animals flow into the single file chute. Tis will work aferall the distractions have been removed rom a acility. Te crowd pen should become the “passing through”pen. Te crowd gate may be used to ollow the animals and should never be used to orcibly push them. Tehandler should concentrate on moving the leaders into the chute instead o pushing animals at the rear othe group. One-way or sliding gates at the entrance to the single file chute must be open when livestock arebrought into the crowd pen. Cattle will balk at a closed gate.

One-way flapper gates can be equipped with a rope to open them by remote control rom the crowd pen.When the crowd pen is operated correctly, electric prods can usually be eliminated and non-electric drivingaids such as flags, paddles and sticks with streamers can be used. Animals can easily be turned with theseaids. o turn an animal, block the vision on one side o its head with the aid. I the leader balks at the chuteentrance, a single touch with the prod may be all that is required. Once the leader enters, the rest o theanimals will ollow.

Calm animals are easier to move than excited animals. Pigs hauled or a short, 15-minute trip may be moredifficult to unload because they have not had sufficient time to calm down afer being loaded on the arm. Ittakes 20 to 30 minutes or excited pigs or cattle to calm down.

Pig crowd pen with an abrupt entrance toprevent jamming.

Holding a one-way gate open to facilitate cale entryinto the chute.

CHAPTeR 2 | ReCoMMended AnIMAl HAndlInG GuIdelInes ConTInued



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Haig ecita Aima

Some highly excitable pigs are difficult to drive at the packing plant. Tese animals squeal, bunch and pile up,and it can be difficult to make these pigs separate and walk up the chute. Highly excitable pigs can have severepale, sof, exudative tissue or PSE due to agitation during handling, even though these pigs are negative on thegenetic test or the halothane gene. Research also shows that excessive use o electric prods in the stunning

chute increases tough meat in bee and lowers meat quality in pigs. Careul, quiet handling during the lastew minutes beore slaughter is very important.

Excitability problems can be reduced and pigs will be easier to drive i people walk through the finishing pensat least once a week. Te person should walk quietly in a different random direc tion each time to train the pigsto get up quietly and flow around them. Tis can be done during a routine task like checking eeders. Playinga radio in the finishing barn also gets the animals accustomed to different kinds o sounds.

Prg Ijri, bri a fa

Non-slip flooring is essential to prevent alls and cripplinginjuries. Humane, efficient handling is very difficult on slick floors

because animals can become agitated and excited when they losetheir ooting. All areas where livestock walk should have a non-slip surace. Existing floors can be roughened with a concretegrooving machine as long as the pattern is sufficiently deep.Grooves that are ¼” x ¼” x ¼” have proven successul thoughother approaches also may be used. For pigs, steel bars may beused as long as they are flush with the floor. Grooved concreteflooring also can be used on weigh scales to pre vent slipping.

For cattle, on scales, crowd pens and other high traffic areas, agrid o one-inch steel bars will provide secure ooting. Constructa 12-inch (30 cm) by 12-inch (30 cm) grid and weld eachintersection. Use heavy rod to prevent the grid rom bending.Non-slip flooring is particularly important in stunning boxesand restrainer entrances. Examples o non-slip flooring includetextured concrete, grooving and rubber mats.

New concrete floors or cattle should have an 8-inch (20 cm)diamond or square pattern with deep 1-inch (2.5 cm) grooves.For pigs and sheep, stamp the pattern o raised expanded metalinto the wet concrete. A rough broom finish is not sufficient asit will become worn smooth. It is also essential to use the rightconcrete mix or maximum resistance to wear.

Smooth Edges and Suraces—Gates, ences and chutes should have smooth suraces to prevent bruises. Sharpedges with a small diameter, such as angle irons, exposed pipe ends and channels will cause bruises. Roundpipe posts with a diameter larger than 3 inches (8 cm) are less likely to bruise. Vertical slide gates in chutesshould be counter-weighted to prevent back bruises. Te bottom o these gates should be padded with cuttires or conveyor belting. Te gate track should be recessed into the chute wall to eliminate a sharp edgethat will bruise.

In pork plants, the bottom 18 inch (46 cm) to 24 inch (61 cm) o a vertical slide gate (guillotine) can be cut offand replaced with a curtain made rom conveyor belting. Te pigs will not attempt to go through the curtain.Tis change will prevent back injuries i the gate is closed on a pig. Pressing up against a smooth flat surace

This bad bruise point could cause damage to both hideand meat.

A good sample of non-slip ooring.

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 1 | ReCoMMended lIvesToCk HAndlInG PRInCIPles ConTInued



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such as a concrete chute ence will not cause bruises. However, a protruding boltor piece o metal will damage hides and bruise the meat. Bruise points can bedetected by tufs o hair or a shiny surace. Contrary to popular belie, livestockcan be bruised moments beore slaughter until they are bled. Te entrance to therestrainer should be inspected ofen or broken parts with sharp edges.

Horned Cattle — Surveys show that groups o horned cattle will have twice asmany bruises as polled (hornless) cattle. A ew horned animals can do a lot odamage. Cutting off the horn tips will not reduce bruising because the animalstill has most o its horn length.

Imprig Aima Mmt

Calm animals are easier to handle and move than excited animals. Animals canbecome agitated very quickly, but it can require 20 to 30 minutes or them tobecome calm again. Calm animals will move naturally through well-designedsystems with a minimum o driving and prodding. o keep animals calm, takethe ollowing steps:

▶ Handlers should be quiet and calm. Yelling, banging on walls with paddlesand arm-waving will excite and agitate animals.

▶ Use lighting to your advantage. Animals tend to move rom a darker area toa more brightly lit area and may reuse to enter a dark or shadowy place. Lampscan be used to attract animals into chutes. Te light should illuminate the chuteup ahead. It should never glare directly into the eyes o approaching animals.Another approach is illuminating the entire chute area. Tis approach eliminatespatches o light and dark which may conuse animals. Animals may be difficultto drive out o the crowd pen i the pen is brightly illuminated by sunlight andthe chute is inside a darker building. Another common lighting problem is thata handling system may work well when lamps are new, but the animals will balkmore and more as the lamps dim with age. Experiment with portable lights tofind the most efficient and consistent lighting.

▶ Eliminate visual distractions. Get down in the chutes to see them rom theanimal’s perspective. Livestock balk at shadows, puddles o water or any objectthat stands in their way, rom a coffee cup to a piece o paper. A drain or a metalplate running across an alley can cause animals to stop and should be locatedoutside the areas where animals walk. Flapping objects, such as a coat hung overa ence or a hanging chain, will also make livestock balk. Install shields or stripso discarded conveyor belting to prevent animals rom seeing movement upahead as they approach the restrainer or stunning box.

▶ Redirect air flow. Air hissing and ventilation drafs blowing in the aces oapproaching animals can seriously impede movement. Ventilation systems mayneed to be adjusted.

▶ Use solid sides in chutes and crowd pens leading up to chutes. Solid sides inthese areas help prevent animals rom becoming agitated when they see activityoutside the ence – such as people. Cattle tend to be calmer in a chute with solidsides. Te crowd gate on the crowd pen should also be solid to prevent animalsrom attempting to turn back towards the stockyard pens they just lef.

Piglets are hesitant to walk on new oor -

they will be easier to drive if allowed toexplore the new oor rst.

Even yellow tape can frighten calebecause it is unfamiliar to them.

An animal looks at a sun spot and stops.

Hose may cause balking.




15

▶ Reduce noise. Animals are very sensitive to noise. Reducing high-pitched motor and hydraulic systemnoise along with banging or reverberation can improve animal movement. Clanging and banging metalshould be reduced and hissing air should be muffled. Excessive loud yelling and banging on equipmentshould be discouraged.

▶ Move animals in small groups – When cattle and pigs are being handled, the crowd pen and the stag-

ing areas which lead up to the crowd pen should never be filled more than 75 percent ull (hal ull is ideal).Do not push crowd gates up tight against the animals as cattle and pigs need room to turn. For sheep, largegroups may be moved and the crowd pen can be filled all the way up. When a group o animals is particularlydifficult to move, reduce the group size.

▶ Spray water rom above or behind. When wetting pigs in the chute, be sure not to spray the animal’s acewith water because they will back up.

scti 2: litc driig T

Electric prods should be used sparingly to move livestock and should not be a person’s primary driving tool.

In most plants, the only location an electric prod is needed is at the entrance to the stun box or restrainer.Cattle and pigs can ofen be moved along a chute when the handler walks by them in the opposite directiono desired movement, taking advantage o the point o balanceat the animal’s shoulder. Electric prods should only be pickedup and used on a resistant animal and then put back down.Certainly, the need or electric prod use can vary depending onbreeds o animals, production practices on the arm, gender (culldairy cows verses cull bee cows), the group o animals, the dayand the handling system used.

Many well-managed plants have totally eliminated electric prodsin the holding pens and the crowd pen that leads to the single

file chute. In bee plants with well-trained handlers, survey datashowed that up to 95 percent o the animals could be movedthrough the entire plant without the use o an electric prod.Plants should strive to use the electric prod on 25 percent or ewercattle, pigs and 5 percent or ewer sheep. Plants that use prods onfive percent or ewer cattle and pigs are achieving excellent scores.A well-designed plant that has eliminated distractions and otherhandling impediments detailed above can greatly reduce electricprods, though they may not be entirely eliminated.

Substitutions or electric prods are possible in many instances.Tey include plastic paddles, witches capes, sticks with nylonflags on the end, or large flags or pigs. Plastic streamers orgarbage bags attached to a stick also can be used. Cattle can beeasily turned and moved in the crowd pen by shaking the stream-ers near their heads. For moving pigs, a large flag on a shorthandle or rattle paddle work well. Rattles work well or movingsheep. Some plants may use “lead” animals which include other sheep or goats as an animal handlingtool. Tese animals are trained to go on trailers and lead the other sheep off or to enter pens and leadsheep up chutes.

Moving pigs with a plasc paddle and a large ag.

Moving cale with a ag.

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 2 | lIvesToCk dRIvInG Tools



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Flags can be made rom lightweight plasticized tarp material and can vary in size rom 20 inches x 20 inchesto 30 inches x 30 inches (50 cm x 50 cm to 76 cm x 76 cm). Lightweight sorting boards can be used to movelivestock, and they are effective or unloading pigs. A vibrating prod that does not use electrical stimulus isshowing promise or moving some animals with a minimum o stress. Motorized vehicles should never beused to drive livestock.

uig Prpr ectric Pr vtag

USDA regulations require that electric prods have a voltage o 50 volts or less. For pigs, they should usebetween 18 and 32 volts. I most livestock bellow or squeal in direct response to being touched with theelectric prod, the power may need to be reduced. Prods which have sufficient power to knock an animaldown or paralyze it must not be used. Electric prods must never be applied to sensitive parts o theanimal such as the eyes, ears, mouth, nose, genitals, udders or anus. In practical terms, the prod shouldnot be used on the animal’s head. Prods must not be used on an animal that has been identified as non-ambulatory or disabled.

When used, electric prods must never be wired directly to house current. A transormer must be used; a

doorbell transormer works well or pigs. Fify volts is the maximum voltage or prods hooked to an overheadwire. Many managers have removed wired-in prods and use only battery-operated prods.Te prod voltage or pigs should be lower than or cattle, which can help reduce both PSE and blood spotsin the meat. Te voltage required to move an animal will vary depending on the wetness o the animal andthe floor. Battery-operated prods are best or livestock handling because they provide a localized directionalstimulus between two prongs. Prods also should have an off switch and not be on constantly.

Electric prods should have the voltage low enough that it does not consistently produce a “bark” or “squeal” inpigs or a “moo” or a “bellow” in cattle, but still enough o a voltage to be a persuasion.

International standards rom the World Organization or Animal Health (OIE 2008) state that electric prodsshould be limited to battery operated prods. Tey should not be used on horses, on calves less than two weeks

o age or on piglets (OIE 2008). OIE also recommends against the use o electric prods on sheep. Te AMIAudit allows prods on sheep at the entrance to the restrainer or sheep who reuse to enter.

Electric prods are ineffective on sheep, because the wool insulates the shock o a properly applied prod. Tislack o response could lead handlers to prod animals in sensitive areas such as the anus or vulva, which isconsidered a willul act o abuse. Additionally, the application o the electric prod can cause damage to thepelt. Current international animal welare guidelines recommend that electric prods not be used in sheep. Asa result, electric prods should be a tool o last resort and used only when absolutely necessary.




17

scti 3: Prpr dig a u Rtrait

Pigs and cattle should enter a restraint device easily with a minimum o balking. Correcting problemswith animal restraint devices can also help reduce bruises and meat quality deects such as blood splash.Te basic principles o low stress restraint which will minimize vocalization and agitation are:

fi vii: ▶ For cattle, block the animal’s vision with shields so that they do not see people or objects that move while

they are entering the restrainer. Install metal shields around the animal’s head on box-type restrainers toblock the animal’s vision.

▶ Block the animal’s vision o an escape route until it is ully held in a restraint device. Tis is especiallyimportant on restrainer conveyors. A flexible curtain made rom discarded conveyor belts at the dischargeend o the conveyor works well. Cattle ofen become agitated in a conveyor restrainer i they can see out romunder the solid hold down cover beore their back eet are off the entrance ramp. Extending the solid holddown cover on a conveyor restrainer will usually have a calming effect and most animals will ride quietly.Solid hold-downs can also be beneficial or pigs on conveyor restrainers.

facii:

▶ Provide non-slip flooring in box-type restrainers and a non-slip, cleated entrance ramp on conveyorrestrainers. Animals tend to panic and become agitated when they lose their ooting. Stunning boxes shouldhave a non-slip floor.

▶ Te restraint device must be properly lighted. Animals will not enter a dark place or a place where directglare rom a light is blinding them. o reduce balking at the entrance o a conveyor restrainer, install a lightabove the entrance. Te light should be above the lead-up chute. It should illuminate the entrance o therestrainer, but it must not glare into the eyes o approaching animals. Lighting over the top o the conveyorin the restrainer room will help induce cattle to raise their heads or the stunner. Light coming up romunder a con veyor restrainer should be blocked with a alse floor to prevent animals rom balking at the

“visual cliff effect.”

▶ Restrainer systems should be equipped with a long, solid hold-down rack to prevent rearing. For cattle, thehold-down should be long enough so that the animal is ully settled down onto the conveyor beore it emergesrom under it. Tis hold-down should not press on the animal’s back. It is a visual barrier.

▶ Eliminate air hissing and other distractions such as clanging and banging. Reer to the sectionon distractions on page 109.

▶ Restraint devices should not have sharp edges that dig into an animal. Parts that contact the animalshould have smooth rounded suraces and be designed so that uncomortable pressure points are avoided.

opmm Prr

▶ Te restraint device must apply sufficient pressure to provide the eeling o being held, but excessivepressure that causes pain should be avoided. Install a pressure regulator on a pneumatic or hydraulic systemto reduce the maximum pressure that can be applied. Very little pressure is required to hold an animal i it isully supported by the device. I an animal bellows or squeals in direct response to the application o pressure,the pressure should be reduced. A restraint device must either ully support an animal or have non-slipooting so the animal can stand without slipping. Animals panic i they eel like they may all.

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 3 | PRoPeR desIGn And use of ResTRAInTs



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▶ Restraint devices should hold ully sensible animals in a comortable, upright position. Shackling andhoisting, shackling and dragging, trip floor boxes and leg clamping boxes are not acceptable. Restrainers thatrotate animals on their backs are used sometimes in glatt Kosher operations in the United States, but morecommonly in glatt Kosher operations in South America and Europe. For inormation on using and auditingthese devices, reer to: www.grandin.com (Ritual Slaughter Section).

▶ Different sized animals may require differing amounts o pressure. Hydraulic or pneumatic systems shouldhave controls that enable a cylinder on the device to be stopped in mid-stroke.

▶ Parts o a restrainer device operated by pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders that press against theanimal’s body should move with a slow steady motion. Sudden jerky motion excites animals. On existingequipment, install flow control valves to provide smooth steady movement o moving parts that pressagainst the animal.

▶ Never hold an animal in a head restraint device or more than a ew seconds. Te animal should bestunned or ritually slaughtered immediately afer the head holder is applied. Head restraint is much moreaversive (disliked by the animal) than body restraint. Animals can be held in a comortable body restraintor longer periods. Te animal’s reaction should be observed. I the animal struggles or vocalizes, it is anindication that the device is causing discomort.

▶ On V conveyor restrainers, both sides should move at the same speed. o test this, mark each side withtape or a crayon. Afer three revolutions the marks should be no more than our inches different or the widtho one slat.

▶ It is possible to modiy existing restraint devices to lower vocalization and agitation scores. Balking at theentrance is also easy to reduce. Most o the modifications that would reduce animal agitation and vocaliza-tions can be installed at a minimum expense. Non-slip floor grating, lighting and shields to block vision areexamples o some relatively inexpensive, but effective, modifications.

▶ Restraint devices that use a floor that suddenly drops, as opposed to a pneumatically controlled alse floors,are not acceptable.

▶ I a stunning box is used, it should be narrow enough to prevent the animal rom turning around. Tefloor should be non-slip so the animal can stand without losing its ooting. It is much easier to stun an animalthat is standing quietly. Only one animal should be placed in each stunning box compartment to preventanimals rom trampling each other.

General Handling:

▶ I an animal is walking into the restrainer by itsel, do not poke it with an electric prod. Center track sys-tems require less prodding to induce cattle to enter. Workers need to break the “automatic prod reflex” habit.Prods should be a tool o last resort, not a primary driving aid.

▶ Using electrical devices that restrain an animal, but do not cause insensibility is not acceptable.Several scientific studies have shown that it is highly aversive. Vocalization scoring is impossible inelectrically immobilized animals because paralysis prevents vocalization. Electrical immobilizationmust not be conused with electric stunning. Properly done, electric stunning passes high amperagecurrent through the brain and induces instantaneous insensibility by inducing a grand mal epilepticseizure. Electrical immobilization keeps a sensible animal still by paralyzing the muscles. It does notinduce epileptiorm changes in an electroencephalogram (EEG) which would indicate that a grand malepileptic seizure had occurred.




19

scti 4: Rcmm stig Practic

Good stunning practices are also required to achieve compliance with ederal humane slaughter regulations.Good stunning also promotes animal welare and meat quality. When stunning is done correctly, the animaleels no pain and it becomes instantly unconscious. Stunning an animal correctly also results in better meatquality. When using electric stunning systems, improper stunning will cause blood spots in the meat and

bone ractures.

Rc ni i stig Ara

Because animals are so sensitive to noises, it is important to reduce noise in the stunning area in particular.Calm animals acilitate accurate and effective stunning. As in other areas, mufflers can be used on air valveexhausts or they can be located outside. Rubber stops on gates can be used to stop clanging and braking devices on the shackle return improve saety and reduce noise. People should not yell.

In addition, consider replacing small diameter with large diameter plumbing, which makes less noise, andreplace pumps with quieter ones. Rubber hose connections between the power unit and metal plumbing will

help prevent power unit noise rom being transmitted throughout the acility. Any new equipment that isinstalled in animal holding or stunning areas should be engineered or quietness.

Cap bt stig

o produce instantaneous unconsciousness, the bolt must penetrate the brain with a high concussive impact.Te correct positions or stunner placement are shown in the diagram. For cattle, the stunner is placed on themiddle o the orehead on an “X” ormed between the eyes and the base o the horns. Stunning an inch above(2.5 cm) the intersection o the X is also very effective. I a non-penetrating stunner is used, accurate aim is very critical to achieve instantaneous insensibility. A head-holding device may be needed to position the heador non-penetrating captive bolt.

I an aggressive sow or boar becomes loose and threatens the welare o other livestock or workers, a snoutsnare may be used to restrain the hog or captive bolt stunning when the animal needs to be euthanized.Snares may also be used when pigs are agitated or exhibit constant head movement that makes it impossible toensure an accurate stun. Snares should not be used as a regular means o restraint or sows and boars.

For sheep, a captive bolt is placed on the top o the head. Tis position is more effective or sheep because theyhave a very thick skull over the orehead. For pigs, the captive bolt is placed on the orehead.

A good stunner operator learns not to chase the animal’s head. He takes the time to aim and get one good,effective shot. Te stunner must be placed squarely on the animal’s head. All equipment manuacturers’recommendations and instructions must be ollowed. Pneumatic stunners must have an adequate air supply.

Low air pressure is one cause o poor stunning. Te pressure gauge on the compressor should be checked tomake sure that the stunner is receiving the air pressure recommended by the manuacturer. Heavy pneumaticstunners should be equipped with an ergonomic handle to aid positioning. A second application o thestunner is acceptable as a security measure provided that the auditor has had the opportunity to confirminsensibility afer the initial stunner application.

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 4 | ReCoMMended sTunnInG PRACTICes



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Mart Pig, sw a bar str Pacmt — For gunshot, the

bullet should enter the pigs skull approximately 1 inch (3 cm) above

the eyebrow, in the middle of the forehead. Ideally, the bullet will

travel at a angle direcng it to the brainstem. (Diagram 7 & 8) For

older boars and sows, the shot should be located 1.5 - 2 inches (3 - 4

cm) above the eyebrow. (Diagram 9 & 10) For the placement of the

penetrang capve bolt the target locaon for shoong a market

weight pig is approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) above its eyebrow, in the

middle of its forehead.

shp str Pacmt — There are three acceptable points of en-

try for rearms on sheep: the front of the head just above the eyes, the

top of the head and the back of the poll. When shoong on the frontal

part of the head, the bullet must enter right above the eyes. (Diagram

5). When an animal has horn mass, the most eecve shot is behind

the poll, poinng towards the mouth of the sheep. The ideal posion

for shoong sheep is the top of the head with the bullet traveling down

towards the throat. For the applicaon of the capve bolt gun, the ideal

point of entry is the highest point/top of the head. (Diagram 6). There is

great variaon in the skull shape of the dierent sheep breeds.

Whereas for mature boars and sows, the shot should be located 1.5-2

in. (3-4 cm) above the eyebrow. Mature pigs with exaggerated skull

structures may require a slightly lower (1cm) target locaon. Your capve

bolt gun must provide adequate force and penetraon depth, which many

of the capve bolt guns for stunning do not. New technology has provided

capve bolts with extended bolts and proper force for more eecve

stunning and killing of the larger animals.

dair Ca str Pacmt — For long face dairy cale such as

Holsteins , the point of entry for rearms and penetrang capve bolt

guns is approximately 2 inches (5 cm) above the intersecon of the X.

(Diagram 3) The X is made by drawing a line from the middle center of

the ear to the inside corner of the opposite eye. Holstein can also be

shot with a rearm behind the poll. (Diagram 4) .

b Ca str Pacmt — For beef cale, the point of entry

for rearms and penetrang capve bolt guns is 1 inch (3 cm) above

the intersecon of the “x” made by drawing a line between the center

middle of the ears and the inside of the eye on the opposite side

(Diagram 1). The animal can also be shot with a rearm behind the poll

(Diagram 2), this is a common point of entry for animals with thick skull

mass, horns or when the frontal shot is dicult to make.

Diagram 1 Diagram 2

Diagram 3 Diagram 4

Diagram 5 Diagram 6

Diagram 7 Diagram 8 Diagram 9 Diagram 10




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Cap bt Maitac a dig

Te most common cause o poor captive bolt stunning is poor maintenance o the captive bolt stunners.Stunners must be cleaned and serviced per the manuacturer’s recommendations to maintain maximumhitting power and to prevent misfiring or partial firing. I a “test stand” to measure bolt velocity is available,daily use is strongly recommended or plants that use captive bolt stunners as their primary method o

stunning. For small plants, periodic, but not daily testing, is acceptable.

A verified maintenance program where a mechanic signs off each day that he/she has tested the stunnersis recommended. I a plant shoots a captive bolt stunner on a particular day, it has to be taken apart andcleaned. I a gun is not shot or a week, it should be cleaned weekly even i not used. I a gun is used, it mustbe taken apart and cleaned at the end o the shif.

Another major cause o ailure to render animals insensible withone shot is a poor ergonomic design o bulky pneumatic stun-ners. Aversive methods o restraint, which cause five percentor more o the cattle or pigs to vocalize, must not be used as asubstitute or improvements in gun ergonomics. Ergonomics

or stunning in a conveyor or restrainer can be improved witha handle extension on the stunner and hanging the pneumaticstunner on an angle.

It is important to keep stunner cartridges dry and the correctcartridge strength must be used. For long-term storage beyonda day’s supply, store cartridges in a room with low humiditysuch as an office. Damp cartridges which have not been storedproperly will cause poor stunning. A day’s supply o cartridgesmay be stored in the stunning area. Another cause o missed captive bolt shots is an overworked or

atigued operator. Scoring at the end o the shif will pinpointthis problem. In some large plants two stunner operatorsmay be required. Rotating the stunner operator to other jobsthroughout the day may help pre vent errors caused by atigue.

Initial application o the stunner must induce insensibility.

ectric stig Pig a shp

o produce instantaneous, painless unconsciousness, sufficientamperage (current) must pass through the animal’s brain toinduce a grand mal epileptic seizure. Insufficient amperage or acurrent path that ails to go through the brain will be painul orthe animal. It will eel a large electric shock or heart attack signs,even though it may be paralyzed and unable to move. Whenelectric stunning is done correctly, the animal will eel nothing.Animals that are dehydrated also may have high electricalresistance and be difficult to stun.

Tere are two types o electric stunning: head only stunning,which is reversible, and head-to-back cardiac arrest stunning,

Well-designed cale stunning box.

Electric head-to-back cardiac arreststunner placed in the correct posionon a pig in V restrainer.

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 4 | ReCoMMended sTunnInG PRACTICes ConTInued



22

which stops the heart. When head-only stunning is used, the signs o a grand mal epileptic seizure can beeasily observed. Te first phase is a still, rigid (tonic) phase, ollowed by vigorous kicking (clonic) phase. I theanimal is not bled, it will return to sensibility when the kicking phase stops.

When head only stunning is used with scissors type tongs, the electrodes may be either placed on the oreheador clamped around the sides o the head like ear muffs. Pigs should be wetted prior to stunning. Electrodes

also may be placed in a “top to bottom” position on top o the head and below the jaw. When a wand withtwo stationary electrodes is used, they may be placed either on the orehead or in the hollow behind theears. Stunning tongs and wands must never be place on the neck. Te stunning wand must be applied tothe animal or at least two to three seconds to stun properly. Stunners should be equipped with a timer. Pigsand sheep that are stunned with a head only stunner or a minimum o two seconds must be bled within amaximum interval o 30 seconds to prevent them rom regaining consciousness. Both practical experienceand scientific research shows that a shorter interval o 15 seconds is strongly recommended.

Small plants may achieve cardiac arrest stunning by first applying the tongs to the head to induce insensibilityand then immediately reapply to the chest. Most large plants use cardiac arrest head to back or head to side-o-body stunning. It produces a still carcass that is saer and easier to bleed. Cardiac arrest stunning requiresthe use o a restraining device to prevent the animal rom alling away rom the stunning wand beore itreceives the complete stun. Cardiac arrest stunning kills the animal by electrocution.

When cardiac arrest stunning is used, one electrode must be placed on either the orehead or in the hollowbehind the ears. Te other electrode is placed on either the back or the side o the body. Te head electrodeshould not be allowed to slide back onto the neck or onto the pig’s jowls. Placement is critical. I the headelectrode is placed too ar back, it can miss the brain. o prevent return to sensibility afer head-onlystunning, the stunning tong can be reapplied to the chest. Tis will stop the heart.

Meat packers should use amperage, voltage and requency settings, which will reliably induceunconsciousness. Both properly and improperly stunned cardiac arrested animals can look similar. Currentflow through the spine masks the epileptic seizure and a clear, rigid and kicking phase cannot be easily

observed. Properly stunned cardiac arrested animals sometimes have kicking back legs.

o prevent bloodspots in the meat and pain to the animal, the wand must be pressed against the animalbeore the button is pushed. Te operator must be careul not to break and re-make the circuit during thestun. Tis causes the animal’s muscles to tense up more than once and bloodspots may increase. I thestunning wand is energized beore it is in ull contact with the pig, the pig will squeal. Tis is called “hotwanding.” Tis is detrimental to pig welare and is likely to increase blood spots in the meat. Stunning wandsand wiring should be checked ofen or electrical continuity. A worn switch may break the circuit enough tocause bloodspots.

Electrodes must be kept clean to provide a good electrical contact. Operators must never double stun animalsor use the stunning wand as a prod.

ectrica spcica r ectric stig Pig a shp

Electric stunning equipment must operate within the electrical parameters that have been verified byscientific research to induce instantaneous insensibility.

Modern stunning circuits use a constant amperage design. Te amperage is set and the voltage varies withthe pig or sheep’s resistance. Older style circuits are voltage regulated. Tese circuits are inerior because theyallow large amperage surges, which can racture bones and cause blood splash. Te distance between the headelectrode and the back electrode should not exceed 14 inches (35 cm.). Te most modern sheep stunners romNew Zealand use water jets to conduct electricity down through the wool.




23

Amperage—Scientific research has shown that an electric stunner must have sufficient amperage to induce agrand mal seizure to insure that the animal will be made instantly insensible. Insufficient amperage can causean animal to be paralyzed without losing sensibility. For market pigs (180 - 200 lbs. / 82-91 kg.—not maturesows or boars) a minimum o 1.25 amps is required (Stunning market pigs with less than 1.25 amps shouldnot be permitted unless the results o lower amperages are verified by either electrical or neurotransmitterrecordings taken rom the brain). Large sows (more than 350 lbs. / more than 160 kg.) will require 2 or more

amps. I lower amperages are used, the stunner may induce cardiac arrest, but the animal will eel the shockbecause the seizure was not induced. For sheep a minimum o one amp is required. Tese amperages must bemaintained or a minimum o one second to give instant insensibility.

Te Council o Europe (1991) and the OIE (2008) recommend the above minimum amperages. Amperageis the most important variable to measure. Some plants stun animals below the Council o Europerecommended minimum amperages in an attempt to reduce blood spots in the meat. Since only a one-secondapplication at 1.25 amps is required to induce instant insensibility in market pigs, it is the author’s opinionthat plants should be permitted to use circuits that lower the amperage setting afer an initial, one secondstun at 1.25 amps or pigs and one amp or sheep. Plants should also be encouraged to use electronic constantamperage electronic circuits that prevent amperage spiking. Both practical experience and research hasshown that these types o circuits greatly reduce petechial hemorrhages (blood spots).

Voltage—Tere must be sufficient voltage to deliver the recommended minimum amperage; 250 volts is therecommended minimum voltage or pigs to ensure insensibility. Te voltage that will be required will dependon the type o stunner, the wetness o the animal and whether or not it is dehydrated.

Frequency—Research has shown that too high an electrical requency will ail to induce insensibility.Research indicates that insensibility is most effectively induced at requencies o 50 cycles. Frequencies rom2000 to 3000 hz ailed to induce instant insensibility and may cause pain. However, in pigs weighing lessthan 200 lbs (80 kg), research has shown that a high requency 1592 hz sine-wave or 1642 hz square wavehead; only stunning at 800 ma (0.80 amp) would induce seizure activity and insensibility in small pigs. Onedisadvantage is that the pigs regained sensibility more quickly compared to stunning at 50 to 60 cycles. Te

pigs in this experiment weighed one-third less than comparable U.S. market pigs and this probably explainswhy the lower amperages were effective.

Equipment is commercially available or stunning pigs at 800 hz applied across the head by two electrodesand a second stun with 50 to 60 hz rom head to body. Research has shown that 800 hz is effective whenapplied by two electrodes across the head.

Research has shown that stunning pigs with requencies higher than 50 to 60 cycles is effective. Tis is thetype o stunning used in many large U.S. pork slaughter plants. In this experiment, the pigs were stunnedwith a head only applicator. High requency stunning has never been verified to induce instant insensibilitywhen applied as a single stun with a head to body electrode.

vcaiza a a Iicatr Imprpr Appica

Vocalizations immediately prior to stunning, such as squeals in pigs, and moos and bellows in cattle canbe signs o discomort and stress. o prevent vocalizations the electrodes must be in firm contact with theanimal prior to being energized.

Squealing o pigs during electric stunning can be more requent in plants that have return to sensibilityproblems. Research conducted in commercial pork slaughter plants where squealing was measured witha sound meter indicated that the intensity o pigs squealing in the stunning chute area is correlated with




24

physiological measures o stress and poorer meat quality. Another study determined that the intensity o pigsqueals is correlated with discomort. In cattle, vocalizations were associated with painul or stressul eventssuch as missed stuns, electric prods, slips and alls and excessive pressure rom a restraint device.Cattle and pigs will vocalize when something causes pain or ear. Sheep as a species tend to remain silentwhen they are in pain or rightened. Vocalization scoring should not be used in sheep.

Due to natural vocalization behavior, vocalization scoring is not recommended or sheep.

ectric Ca stig

Unlike pigs and sheep, electrical stunning o cattle may require a two-phase stun. Due to the large size ocattle, a current should first be applied across the head to render the animal insensible beore a second currentis applied rom the head to the body to induce cardiac arrest. Modern sys tems may have a third current toreduce convulsions. A single 400 volt, 1.5 amp current passed rom the neck to the brisket ailed to induceepileptic orm changes in the brain. Observations in plants outside the U.S. indicate that a single currentpassed rom the middle o the orehead to the body appears to be effective. Research is needed to veriy this.o insure that the electrodes remain in firm contact with the bovine’s head or the duration o the stun, theanimal’s head must be restrained in a mechanical apparatus. Due to the high electrical resistance o cattle

hair, the electrode should be equipped with a water system to provide continuous wetting during the stun.

Te OIE (2008) requires a minimum o 1.5 amps applied across the head to induce immediate epileptiormactivity in the electro-encephalogram (EEG) o large cattle. ypical stunning systems in the U.S. are 60 hz.Modifications are not recommended that would result in higher initial requencies. Te requency mayrise afer the initial application. A requency o 60 or 50 cycles should be used unless higher requencies are verified in cattle by either electrical or neurotransmitter measurements taken rom the brain. A more recentstudy has shown that 1.15 amps sinusoidal AC 50 Hz applied or one second across a bovine’s head is effectiveto induce insensibility (Wotton et al., 2000). A longer application is usually required to depolarize the spine toreduce kicking (up to 15 seconds).

Co2 stig Paramtr

According to CFR 9, Section 313.5, CO2 stunning may be used in swine to induce death or to result ina state o surgical anesthesia. Tese states are dependent on the relationship between exposure timeand CO

2concentration, and systems will produce pigs in both states. Research and the manuacturer

recommendations show that the concentrations o CO2

or pigs should be at least 90 percent, and neverless than 80 percent. Lower levels o 70 percent CO

2were stressul to pigs particularly at induction.

Concentration and dwell time in CO2

must be documented (9CFR313.5). I concentrations are lower, thendwell times must be longer.

Handlers must be careul not to overload the gondolas (elevator boxes) that hold groups o pigs. In a properlyloaded gondola, the pigs must have sufficient room to stand without being on top o each other. Handlers mustnever overload the gondolas by orcing pigs to jump on top o each other. Pigs should not be overcrowded, butgondolas or other conveyances should also not be under-filled.

In the scientific literature, there are conflicting results on how pigs react to the induction o CO2

anesthesia.Some genetic types o pigs actively attempt to escape rom the container when they first sniff the gas andothers respond with a calm anesthetic induction. Other research has observed that the reaction o pigs toCO

2was highly variable. A Dutch researcher ound that the excitation phase occurred prior to the onset o

unconsciousness. Australian researchers ound that being shocked with an electric prod was more aversive(disliked) than inhaling CO

2.

Research in people indicates that genetics affect the aversiveness o CO2

inhalation. Genetics may be acontributing actor and may require a different gas mixture or other adjustment. Observations in several




25

plants indicate that elimination o the stress (Halothane) gene may reduce problems with stressul anestheticinduction. Te gas parameters or each plant should be evaluated by gas concentration and insensibilityafer stunning. In most systems, the induction phase is not visible but where it is, the gas mixture is notacceptable i the pigs have excessive excitation or escape movements. It is normal to have vigorous kicking and

convulsions afer the pig alls over.

In evaluating gas stunning, one mustlook at the entire system, whichincludes the handling system and thegas mixture. One advantage o gasstunning is that these systems canbe designed to eliminate the need orpigs to line up in single file chutes,which is contrary to their naturalbehavior.

It should be noted that it is importantto strive or optimal loading densityor pigs in gondolas when CO

2

systems are used. Pigs should not be overcrowded, but gondolas or other conveyances should also not beunder-filled. Some automated CO

2 units use powered (automatic) gates. Powered gates may be used to move

animals by making contact with them. Powered gates or moving animals must never cause an animal to alland they should never be used to skid or slide animals.

Roughly 0.019 f (.001765 sq.m), which is approximately .019 x 265 lbs. average weight, o usablegondola space/lb body weight should approximately determine the maximum number o animals loaded intothe gondola at various body weights. Tis will ensure that pigs can stand without beingon top o one another.

Hw t dtrmi Iiiit

In both captive bolt and electrically stunned animals, kicking will occur. Ignore the kicking and look at thehead. o put it simply, HE HEAD MUS BE DEAD. When cattle are shot with a captive bolt, it is normal tohave a spasm or 5 to 15 seconds. Afer the animal is rolled out o the box or hung up, its eyes should relax andbe wide open.

When pigs are stunned using CO2 to induce surgical anesthesia, some animals may have slow limb movement

or gasping. Tis is permissible. However, there must be no spontaneous eye blinking, righting reflex orresponse to a painul stimulus applied to the nose.Below are the signs o a properly stunned animal (reer also to chart on page 23).

▶ Te legs may kick, but the head and neck must be loose and floppy like a rag. A normal spasm may causesome neck flexing, generally to the side, but the neck should relax and the head should flop within about 20seconds. Check eye reflexes i flexing continues. Animals stunned with gas stunning equipment should becompletely limp and floppy, though animals may exhibit slow limb movement and gasping. Agonal gasping(like a fish out o water) is a sign o a dying brain when CO

2 and electric stunning are used.

▶ Te tongue should hang out and be straight and limp. A stiff curled tongue is a sign o possible return tosensibility. I the tongue goes in and out, this may be a sign o partial insensibility.

▶ For all methods o stunning, when cattle and pigs are hung on the rail, their head should hang straightdown and their backs must be straight. Tey must NO have arched back righting reflex. When a partiallysensible animal is hung on the rail it will attempt to lif up its head. Sometimes the head will flop up

EXAMPLE

For example, for a gondola measuring 9'1.5"x4" wide, a good,

approximate target for loading densies would be:

240 lbs and less = 8 head

240-275 = 7 head

275-320 = 6 head

320-385 = 5 head




26

momentarily when a back leg kicks. Tis should not be conused with a righting reflex. Due to differences inthe anatomy, sheep that are properly stunned and are insensible may not hang with their head straight down.However, the heads should be limp and floppy.

▶ When captive bolt is used, the eyes should be wide open with a blank stare. Tere must be no eyemovements. Immediately afer electrical stunning, the animal will clamp its eyes shut, but they should relax

into a blank stare. Agonal gasping like a fish out o water must be absent.

▶ When captive bolt is used, the animal must NEVER blink or have an eye reflex in response to touch. Inelectrically stunned pigs, eye movements can be misinterpreted when untrained people indiscriminately pokeat the eyes. It is ofen best to observe without touching the eye.

▶ I an electrically stunned animal blinks within five seconds afer stunning, this is a sign that the amperageis too low. In electrically stunned animals, blinking should be checked within five seconds and afer 60seconds. In most plants, blinking will not be ound immediately afer stunning because the plant is using thecorrect amperage. Afer it has been verified that the amperage is set correctly, the most important time toobserve or signs o return to sensibility is 60 seconds afer electrical stunning. Tis provides time or the eyesand neck to relax afer the rigid (tonic) and kicking (clonic) phases o the epileptic seizure. Checking or signso return to sensibility afer bleeding ensures that the animal will not recover.

▶ For all stunning methods, i the animal blinks with a natural blink, where the eyes open and then re-close,it is not properly stunned. I you are not sure what a natural blink looks like, look at live animals in the yards(lairage) beore assessing insensibility.

▶ Rhythmic breathing where the ribs move in and out must be absent. Intermittent gasping like a fish out owater is a sign o a dying brain and is acceptable afer electrical or gas stunning. A twitching nose (like a rab-bit) may be a sign o partial sensibility. It is important not to conuse gasping with rhythmic breathing.

Signs of a Properly Stunned Animal by Stunning Method

Head Tongue Back Eyes Limbs Vocalization Respiration Tail Response to pai

Cattle

captive

bolt

Must appear dead,hang straight and

floppy

Straight and limp Hanging straight, norighting reflex

No natural blinking.Wide open, blank stare,

no response to touch;

nystagmus absent

Uncoordinatedkicking of hind

legs acceptable,

no righting reflexpresent

None Rhythmic breathing(ribs moving in and

out at least twice) is

absent. Agonal gasp-ing not acceptable.

Relaxes shortly afterbeing on the rail

A pinch or pinprickmay be applied to

nose only and no

response should bobserved.

Cattle

electric

Must appear dead,

hang straight andfloppy

Straight and limp Hanging straight, no

righting reflex

Eyes may vibrate (nys-

tagmus), but no naturalblinking

Uncoordinated

kicking of hindlegs acceptable,

no righting reflex

present

None Agonal gasping like

a fish out of waternormal. Rhythmic

breathing (ribs mov-

ing in and out at leasttwice) is absent.

Relaxes shortly after

being on the rail

A pinch or pinprick

may be applied tonose only and no

response should b

observed.

Pigs

CO2

Must appear dead,

hang straight andfloppy


righting reflex

No natural bl inking Uncoordinated


no righting reflex

present



breathing (ribs mov-

ing in and out at leasttwice) absent.


being on the rail

A pinch or pinprick


response should b

observed.

Pigs

electric

Must appear dead,

hang straight and

floppy


righting reflex


tagmus), but no natural

blinking

Uncoordinated

kicking of hind

legs acceptable,no righting reflex

present


a fish out of water

normal. Rhythmicbreathing (ribs mov-

ing in and out at leasttwice) is absent.


being on the rail

A pinch or pinprick

may be applied to

nose only and noresponse should b

observed.

Pigs

captive

bolt

Must appear dead,

hang straight and

floppy


righting reflex

No natural blinking.

Wide open, blank stare,

no response to touch;nystagmus absent

Uncoordinated

kicking of hind

legs acceptable,no righting reflex

present

None Rhythmic breathing

(ribs moving in and

out at least twice) isabsent. Agonal gasp-

ing not acceptable.


being on the rail

A pinch or pinprick

may be applied to

nose only and noresponse should b

observed.

Sheep

electric

Must appear dead;

neck hangs on anglewith limp and floppy

head

Straight and limp Due to anatomical

differences in sheep,back may not hang

completely straight;no righting reflex


tagmus), but no naturalblinking

Uncoordinated


no righting reflexpresent



breathing (ribs mov-ing in and out at least

twice) is absent.


being on the rail

A pinch or pinprick


response should bobserved.

To view a larger chart, see page 121




27

▶ In captive bolt-stunned animals, insensibility may be questionable i the eyes are rolled back or they are vibrating (nystagmus). Nystagmus is permissible in electrically stunned animals, especially those stunnedwith requencies higher than 50 to 60 cycles.

▶ Shortly afer being hung on the rail, the tail should relax and hang down.

▶ No response to a nose pinch or a needle prick to the nose. When testing or response to a painul stimulusthe pinch or prick must be applied to the nose to avoid conusion with spinal reflexes. Animals entering ascald tub must not make a movement that is in direct response to contact with the hot water. For all types ostunning, this is an indicator o possible return to sensibility.

▶ No vocalizations (moo, bellow or squeal).

erig Iiiit fwig ectric stig

Adequate electrical parameters or cardiac arrest stunning at a requency o 50 to 60 cycles cannot bedetermined by clinical signs, because cardiac arrest masks the clinical signs o a seizure. Measurement obrain unction is required to veriy any new electrical parameters that may be used in the uture. Common

causes o a return to sensibility afer electric stunning are:

▶ Wrong position o the electrode

▶ Amperage that is too low

▶ Poor bleed out, or

▶ Poor electrode contact with the animal

Other actors that may contribute to poor electrical stunning are: dirty electrodes, insufficient wettingo animals, electrode contact area that is too small, animal dehydration, dirty animals and long hair or

wool. Interrupted contact during the stun may also be a problem. For all species, processing plants with anexcessively long stunning to bleed time are more likely to have return to sensibility problems. Electrodes mustbe cleaned requently to ensure a good electrical connection. Te minimum cleaning schedule should be oncea day. For personal saety, the electrode wand must be disconnected rom the power supply beore cleaning.

Order o the events indicating return to sensibility in head only electrically stunned pigs (In CO2 stunned

pigs, the order o the first two events is reversed):

1. Corneal reflexes in response to touch (not recommended or electric stunning).

2. Return o rhythmic breathing – ribs move in and out at least twice.

3. Spontaneous natural blinking without touching like live animals in the yards.

4. Response to a painul stimulus such as pricking the nose with a pin.

5. Righting reflex and raising the head.

6. Fully conscious and sensible. Complete return to sensibility can occur within 15 to 20 seconds.




28

stig t b Itra

Captive Bolt—Both penetrating and non-penetrating captive bolts are effective. However, non-penetratingbolts will cause less damage to the brain (Finnie et al., 2000). Practical experience has shown that ornon-penetrating captive bolts to be effective the aim must be more precise. Animals stunned with a non-penetrating captive bolt should be bled within 20 seconds and there is no maximum stun to bleed interval or

penetrating captive bolt (OIE 2008).

Electric Cardiac Arrest—Sixty seconds maximum. All large plants are already using less than this interval.

Head Only Reversible Electric—Fifeen seconds is strongly recommended (Blackmore and Newhook, 1981),30 seconds maximum (Hoenderken, 1983). Scientific research clearly shows that pigs will start returning tosensibility afer 30 seconds when stunned by the head only method. When requencies o greater than 50 to60 hz are used, these times may need to be shortened. When head only electric stunning is used or cattle orsheep the animal should be bled within 10 seconds. Te OIE guideline states that they should be bled within20 seconds (OIE 2008).

Prg bpah (bpt i Pig) ▶ Gentle handling prevents damage to small blood vessels caused by excited animals jamming against each

other or equipment. Minimize time to bleeding afer stunning to minimize meat damage.

▶ Electric prod usage should be kept at a minimum.

▶ Animals should never be lef in the restrainer system during breaks and lunch.

▶ Be sure that one side o a V restrainer does not run aster than the other. Tis causes stretching o the skinthat damages blood vessels.

▶ Double stunning should be a kept to a minimum.

▶ Do not slide the wand on the pig when the wand is energized.

▶ Te slats on the V restrainer and hold-down rack and chutes should be insulated to prevent currentleakage, which can cause bloodsplash. Rapid temperature fluctuations and periods o extremely hot weathercan greatly increase the incidence o bloodsplash. In these circumstances, plants should take extra care inhandling animals to minimize bloodsplash problems.




29

scti 5: Rigi saghtr (khr a Haa)

Cattle, calves, sheep or other animals that are rituallyslaughtered without prior stunning should be restrained ina comortable upright position. For both humane and saetyreasons, plants should install modern upright restraining

equipment whenever possible. Shackling and hoisting,shackling and dragging, trip floor boxes and leg clampingboxes should never be used. In a very limited number o glattKosher plants in the United States and more commonly inSouth America and Europe, restrainers that position animalson their backs are used. For inormation about these systemsand evaluating animal welare, reer to www.grandin.com(Ritual Slaughter Section).

Te throat cut should be made immediately afer the head isrestrained (within 10 seconds). Small animals such as sheepand goats can be held manually by a person during ritual slaughter. Plants that conduct ritual slaughter shoulduse the same scoring procedures except or stunning scoring, which should be omitted in plants that conductritual slaughter without stunning.

Cattle vocalization percentages should be five percent or less o the cattle in the crowd pen, lead up chuteand restraint device. A slightly higher vocalization percentage is acceptable because the animal must be heldlonger in the restraint device compared to conventional slaughter. A five percent or less vocalization score canbe reasonably achieved. Scoring criteria or electric prod use and slipping on the floor should be the same asor conventional slaughter.

Animals must be completely insensible beore any other slaughter procedure is perormed (shackling,hoisting, cutting, etc.) I the animal does not become insensible within 60 seconds, it should be stunned with

a captive bolt gun or other apparatus and designated as non-Kosher or non-Halal.

Upright Pen—Tis device consists o a narrow stall with an opening in theront or the animal’s head. Afer the animal enters the box, it is nudgedorward with a pusher gate and a belly lif comes up under the brisket.Te head is restrained by a chin lif that holds it still or the throat cut.Vertical travel o the belly lif should be restricted to 28 inches (71.1 cm) sothat it does not lif the animal off the floor. Te rear pusher gate should beequipped with either a separate pressure regulator or special pilot-operatedcheck valves to allow the operator to control the amount o pressureexerted on the animal. Pilot operated check valves enable the operator tostop the air cylinders that control the apparatus at mid-stroke positions.

Te pen should be operated rom the rear toward the ront.

Head restraint is the last step. Te operator should avoid sudden jerkingo the controls. Many cattle will stand still i the box is slowly closedup around them and less pressure will be required to hold them. Ritualslaughter should be perormed immediately afer the head is restrained(within 10 seconds o restraint).

An ASPCA pen can be easily installed in one weekend with minimum disruption o plant operations. It has amaximum capacity o 100 cattle per hour and it works best at 75 head per hour or less. A small version o thispen could be easily built or cal plants.

Restrainer system for religious slaughter of calves and sheep

Upright Pen for religious slaughter of cale

CHAPTeR 2: seCTIon 5 | RelIGIous slAuGHTeR kosHeR And HAlAl



30

Conveyor Restrainer Systems—Either V restrainer or center track restrainer systems canbe used or holding cattle, sheep or calves in an upright position during Shehita or Halalslaughter. Te restrainer is stopped or each animal and a head holder positions the head orthe ritual slaughter official. For cattle, a head holder similar to the ront o the ASPCA pencan be used on the center track conveyor restrainer. A bi-parting chin lif is attached to twohorizontal sliding doors.

Small Restrainer Systems—For small locker plants that ritually slaughter a ew calves orsheep per week, an inexpensive rack constructed rom pipe can be used to hold the animalin a manner similar to the center track restrainer. Animals must be allowed to bleed out andbecome completely insensible beore any other slaughter procedure is perormed (shackling,hoisting, cutting, etc.).

scti 6: Rcmm Haig diar Cripp litc

Aggressive handling can lead to injured, stressed or atigued livestock.Although non-ambulatory animals (sometimes called “downers,atigued, slows or subjects”) represent a small raction o all livestockarriving at packing plants, they are significant because they requirespecial attention in the areas o handling, transporting, holding pensand inspection.

Since December 30, 2003, all non-ambulatory cattle arriving atpacking plants in the U.S. are to be condemned. Non-ambulatory pigs

may be slaughtered i inspected and passed by a USDA veterinarian.

n-Amatr Ca

Many incidents o non-ambulatory cattle can be prevented by better management at the dairy or ranch.Producers need to work to reduce the occurrence o non-ambulatory animals that are caused by eitherpoor management or neglect. I non-ambulatory cattle arrive on trucks, off load ambulatory cattle first,taking care not to drive ambulatory cattle over non-ambulatory animals. Non-ambulatory cattle should beeuthanized with a captive bolt stunner on the truck and disposed o.

Cattle that become non-ambulatory must be euthanized and condemned. I afer euthanizing, blood

gets on the chute, wash it off to prevent balking.

Mounting activity and animal fights can cause injuries that can cause animals to becomenon-ambulatory. Tis is a problem especially with bulls. Bulls that are mounting other animalsshould be placed in separate pens. Mounting by bulls is a common cause o bruises and cripplinginjuries on cows.

Center track restrainer beinused for ritual slaughter.

A well-designed cart for moving crippled livestock.




31

n-Amatr Pig

Tere are two basic types o non-ambulatory pigs. Te first type are those that are in a poor physi cal statebeore leaving the arm, ofen older breeding stock. Another type is a atigued pig that becomes non-ambulatory. According to the National Pork Board, a atigued pig is defined as having temporarily lostthe ability to walk, but has a reasonable expectation to recover ull locomo tion with rest. Tese animals

are ofen called “NANIs” or “non-ambulatory, non-injured.” Many o these animals can recover and walkindependently i given time to rest.

rucks carrying disabled pigs should unload ambulatory animals first taking care not to compromise thenon-ambulatory animals. I a non-ambulatory pig impedes unloading, it should be properly removed beorecontinuing with the unloading process. Ambulatory pigs must not be driven over non-ambulatorypigs. Delayed unloading can cause death losses and downer animals due to extreme temperatures,exposure and stress.

o off load a non-ambulatory pig rom a truck, un-loaders should use the process that creates as little stressas possible on the animal. Live pigs must never be dropped to the ground rom a truck. In some cases, aslide board or cripple cart may be helpul. Animals may be rolled onto a wide piece o conveyor belting that

has been stiffened on one end with metal bars to prevent curling when the belting with the animal on itis dragged. Te board can then be dragged off the truck and the animal loaded into a suitable mechanicaldevice or transport to an inspection area.

Federal humane slaughter regulations prohibit dragging o downed or crippled livestock in the stockyards,crowd pen or stunning chute. Tis also includes pushing, pulling and scooting (i the animal is euthanized,it may be dragged). By using slide boards, sleds and cripple carts, animals can be transported humanelyand efficiently to a pen or other area where they can be examined by an inspector, stunned and moved toslaughter. In order to prevent urther injury to non-ambulatory animals by equipment or other animals,minimal movement may be required to roll the animal or slide it onto carts and other devices. Te stress othis movement must be weighed against the potential harm to the animal i it is not moved promptly. In porkplants, the single file lead up to the stunning chute or restrainer should be equipped with side doors so that

non-ambulatory pigs can be easily removed.

It is important that water and shelter be provided to injured and non-ambulatory livestock. Feed must beprovided or any livestock held at a plant or more than 24 hours.

Ipc a saghtrig Cira

Cattle that are non-ambulatory must be euthanized and may not be slaughtered or human consumption.

Non-ambulatory or subject pigs are held in a designated location or additional ante-mortem inspection.At that time, they may be passed or inspection, condemned or segregated and slaughtered as U.S. Suspect(9CFR309.2).

Once the USDA inspector has examined the animal, plants should identiy the earliest possible point duringproduction when that animal may be slaughtered “separately.” Tis separation point should be discussed withthe USDA inspector. It should be noted that plants need not always wait until the end o a shif to slaughter asegregated animal. Waiting can prolong a disabled animal’s suffering. Plants and inspectors should cooperateto ensure non-ambulatory pigs are slaughtered as soon as possible afer arrival.

At cattle plants, non-ambulatory cattle arriving on trucks should be humanely euthanized on the truck andremoved rom the truck or disposal. Some cattle may be deemed suspect and yet still be ambulatory. Tesecattle should be moved to separate pens or examination by USDA inspectors.

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CHAPTeR 3: TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT GuIdelInes

“You manage what you measure.” Tat is certainly true when it comes to assuring optimal animal welare.A number o objective criteria can be used to measure animal welare in packing plants. By measuring welareindicators regularly, problems can be detected and continuous improvement achieved.

Tis chapter and the one that ollows detail the objective criteria to use in evaluating humane handlinglivestock during transport to meat plants by analyzing actors once trucks arrive at plants and in the meatplants themselves. Te AMIF recommends conducting internal audits at least weekly and varying those auditdays and times during shifs to assess the role that employee experience, behavior and atigue may play inanimal handling and stunning.

AMIF is committed to an audit program that is simple to conduct. Audits that are easy to under stand andexecute are more likely to be conducted with greater requency and ewer errors. Each o AMIF’s objectivecriteria is designed to measure a multitude o potential issues. For example, counting alls can assess whethera ramp is too steep, whether animals are being driven too aggressively and whether a floor may be too slipperyand need re-grooving. Measuring vocalization levels will indicate i prods are being overused, i restrainers

are too small or livestock, and a host o other issues. Each o these individual items need not be evaluated onaudits i the core criteria scores are within the target range, but notes may be taken to indicate which actorsmay have contributed to the score.

I a score alls below the acceptable range specified in these guidelines, plant management should take stepsto correct the problem. Te results o the “1996 Survey o Stunning and Han dling in Federally Inspected Bee,Pork, Veal and Sheep Slaughter Plants” (sponsored by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service)indicated that the recommended minimum acceptable levels specified in this guide are reasonably achiev-able. Additional data collected during audits o bee and pork plants have urther verified that the minimumstandards are attainable.

ItrcTis chapter on transportation o livestock covers the principles o good animal handling practices during thereceiving and unloading o livestock at processing acilities or bee, swine and sheep.

scti 1: Aitr Itrcti a Irmati

Tis audit is intended to monitor and veriy the welare o animals arriving at meat packing acilities. It is theresponsibility o third party auditors to:

1. Arrange with plant management the best time to perorm the audit to ensure the plant will be receivinganimals and a representative audit sampling can be acquired.

2. Establish with plant management the location o the unloading area and to what areas the audit willbe limited. Te unloading area parameters would include the trailer holding or staging area, the traileritsel (only when auditing the condition o the trailer or i the trailer meets requirements or the ambienttemperature) and the immediate unload area (i.e. up to the exit gate o the unloading alley or to the gatingo the first alley off the trailer). Due to design variance between plants, this will need to be established byplant management and respected by the auditor. Te balance o the handling and stunning areas will becovered in the acility audit.

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3. Te auditor must in no way impede the unloading o animals. Te auditor must find a place to stand thatwill not cause the animals to balk and where the auditor will be sae. Te auditor must not enterthe trailer while the animals are being unloaded.

4. For swine, it is recommended that all auditors participate in the National Pork Board’s “ransportQuality Assurance” (QA™) program (swine), the Canadian Livestock ransporter Certification Program

(swine, cattle and sheep) or a similar program that covers other species to educate themselves on thecurrent transportation practices and guidelines or that species.

5. Tere may be core criteria points that will not be applicable to the plant the auditor is auditing. It is theresponsibility o the auditor to meet with management and review the core criteria and their applicabilitybeore conducting the audit.

6. Some o the core criteria will be dependent on animal type, trailer style, plant design or regional climaticdifferences. Choose the points that apply to the animal type or trailer being auditing.

7. Tere are secondary items listed within the core criteria. Tese items allow or specific comments orobservations and are to be noted on the audit sheet, but will not be scored as part o the audit criteria.Tey are intended to provide a broader understanding o the plant and the transporters.

8. Te number o trailers audited will be determined beore beginning the audit. Te auditor will base theaudit results on the trailers that were actually audited, not on trailers they may have observed that werenot part o the selected audit sampling. No less than two trailers and no more than five trailers should beaudited and scored per audit.

9. Egregious act o abuse always result in a ailed audit.

Note: In addition to annual third party audits, weekly internal transportation audits arerecommended.

sCoRInG:

Core Criteria 1 applies to the plant only. It is to be scored only once during the audit. Te pass or ail or thiscore criterion is based on the percentage o audit points received out o the total possible.

Core Criteria 2-7 apply to individual trailers only. Each trailer will have an individual score sheet to be usedor each load audited. At the end o the audit, the total points or all the loads will be added together to obtainthe final scoring or each o the core criteria. Te average o the trailers scored will serve as the overall score.

Cr Critria 1: Pat traprtati pic aprpar r rciig aima

Tis Core Criteria audits the plant’s animal welare policies or transportation and preparedness or receiving

animals. It is only scored once during an audit. Te ollowing are explanations o each o the applicable pointsto be scored during the audit:

1. Plant has written animal welare policy or transporters. Plants must have a written animal welarepolicy or transporters hauling animals to their plants. For transportation o swine, the policy can bean in-house policy, one that strictly reerences the National Pork Board’s QA™ program, the CanadianLivestock ransporter Certification Program or a combination. For other species, an in-house policy,the Canadian Livestock ransporter Certification Program a recognized species-specific program, or acombination o the these can be used.

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2. Plant provides extreme temperature management tools (water, ans, etc.). For swine, one o theseenvironmental management tools must be available to transporters to assist in alleviating heat-relatedwelare problems pigs can encounter in transport during extreme temperatures. A plant can providewater to mist a trailer; however, in cases o high relative humidity additional mist or water can actuallyurther increase the humidity within the trailer. Te plant may also provide ans that blow air throughthe trailers or they may have a policy in place that keeps the trailers moving i

it is unable to unload the trailers promptly.

When cattle and sheep are stressed in extreme heat conditions, they aremore likely to become non-ambulatory, sick and even die. emperatures o100° F (37.8° C) or higher pose a significant risk to stressed cattle. I cattlemust be hauled at times o high temperatures and humidity, all precautionsshould be taken to avoid having to stop. Cold weather can also be stressul tocattle. Freezing rain is especially dangerous and cattle and sheep should beprotected rom the wind (see BQA/CL).

I sheep must be hauled at times o high temperatures, air movement,dampened bedding and other such management tools are methods by whichstress can be reduced during transportation. I the truck and trailer muststop or more than just a ew minutes, the vehicle should be parked in anarea where shade and natural ventilation are sufficient to prevent animalsrom overheating (Sheep Care Guide, American Sheep Industry Association).Cold weather can also be stressul to sheep and just like with heat, the trailershould be stationary or only a short period o time and the sheep protectedrom the wind. Sheep should be protected rom reezing rain.

Te tools provided may vary depending on the inrastructure andgeographical location o the plant, the current weather conditions,and the species.

3. Arrival management process minimizes waiting time at the plant.Plants should have a policy in place that will assist in minimizing waitingtimes at plant. A scheduling system that allows a specific number o loadsto arrive at a given time period works or most plants. Plants should have thelairage space and personnel to meet the requirements o the loads they areaccepting.

4. Emergency plans in place or animals in transit. Plants should providewritten policy that outlines their company plan or policy or loaded trailersin transit that may be involved in but not limited to: accidents, mechanicalbreakdowns, plant shutdowns, or traffic delays. Tis policy may include, but

not be limited to: radio/call trucks to keep moving until requested by plant toarrive, request trucks to park where animals can be kept comortable, requestcrews to postpone loading o animals on arm or unloading at alternatelocation such as auction market or another meat plant.

5. Written policy or immobile* and atigued** animals and tools available

or handling. Te plant must have a written policy or the handlingo immobile and atigued animals on trailers. Tey must also provide

Sled

Lead Sheep

Rale Paddle

Witch’s Cape

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equipment or employees or transporters to humanely handle both immobileand atigued animals. Tis equipment can include, but not be limited tosleds, stretchers, hand carts and mechanized equipment.

6. Acceptable handling tools available and utilized as needed. Te plant musthave handling tools available or plant staff and may have available handling

tools or transporters to assist in unloading o livestock. As part o internaltraining, plants should have a procedure on the proper use o handling tools.Tese tools may include, but not be limited to, rattle paddles, sort boards,witches capes, or nylon flags. A handling tool should never be used in anymanner other than the normal intended use o the tool. Electric prodsshould be a tool o last resort used only when absolutely necessary. Handlersshould not be constantly carrying prods. Te electric prod should be pickedup only when necessary and then put away. ools cannot have parts that maydirectly injure the animal in any way. Tis includes but is not limited to sharpends or edges that will harm the animal.

For sheep, some plants may use “lead” animals which include other sheepor goats as an animal handling tool. Tese animals are trained to go on thetrailer and lead the other sheep off. Electric prods are ineffective on sheepbecause the wool insulates the shock o a properly applied prod. Tis lack oresponse could lead handlers to prod animals in sensitive areas such as theanus or vulva, which is considered a willul act o abuse. Additionally, the application o the electric prodcan cause damage to the pelt. Current international animal welare guidelines recommend that electricprods not be used in sheep. As a result, electric prods should be a tool o last resort and used only whenabsolutely necessary.

7. Availability o acceptable euthanasia tools. For use in the lairage (yards) or euthanizing animals,the ollowing tools are acceptable; or cattle, firearms and captive bolt may be used. For pigs and sheep,

firearms penetrating captive bolt and handheld cardiac arrest electric stunner may be used. One o theseappropriate euthanasia tools and an employee trained on the use o these tools must be available atall times when livestock are being received.

8. Maintenance records or euthanasia equipment, proper storage and employee training or euthanasia.

Captive bolt guns must be cleaned afer each day o use. Cleaning requency and preventativemaintenance should be per the manuacturer’s recommendations and instructions. However, days o non-use do not require cleaning. Te equipment and ammunition must be stored in a dry place. Employeesmust be trained in the company’s euthanasia policy and the application o the mode o euthanasia.Documentation o cleaning, maintenance and training must be provided.

9. Gates in unloading area swing reely, latch securely and have no sharp protrusions. Gates should have

smooth edges to prevent bruising. Tere should be no protruding parts on the gates that may directlyinjure the livestock in any way. Gates should swing reely and latch securely to keep animals in the pen.Gates should never be slammed shut on an animal passing through it.

* Immobile pigs are pigs that refuse to get up, are unable to stand unaided and are unable to bear weight on two of itslegs (Source: National Pork Board).

** Fatigued pigs are pigs that have temporarily lost the ability or the desire to walk but have a reasonable expectation to

recover full locomotion with rest (Source: National Pork Board).

Sort Board

Nylon Flag

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10. Non-slip flooring. Examples o non-slip flooring include textured concrete, grooving and rubber mats.Te unloading area should have non-slip flooring to allow the livestock to maintain good ooting and toprevent slipping and alling.

11. Unloading area and ramps in good repair (e.g. no broken cleats, holes or gaps). Te unloading area

should be properly maintained and in good repair. Tere should be no broken cleats, holes, or gaps wherelivestock can get stuck or be directly injured. Te ramp and the unloading area must also be clean enough(avoid excess manure, bedding, etc.) to prevent slips and alls. In winter weather conditions, the unloadingarea must be ree o ice. Te unloading area should have no sharp edges that can injure the animals.

12. Adequate lighting. Te lighting in the unloading area should help acilitate movement o the animals.Inadequate, excessively bright and/or uneven lighting can impede the unloading and movement oanimals. Te unloading area must have lighting i plant does nighttime unloading.

13. Staff available or receiving animals. Plant staff should be available to receive animals during normalplant receiving hours. I transporters are scheduled to arrive afer normal hours o operation, a plantemployee should be available by phone to assist transporters i necessary. Te afer hours contact numbershould be made available to the transporters.

sCoRInG:

Excellent – 13 o the criteria metAcceptable – 11 to 12 o the criteria metNot Acceptable – 8 to 10 o the criteria metSerious Problem – 7 or ewer o the criteria met




37

Cmpg th Traprtr Ait rm

railer Number. In this space, enter the sequence numbero the trailers audited or the truck number, i applicable.

otal Number o Livestock on Board. Tis is the total number o

animals on the trailer being audited. Tis number can be obtainedrom the plant staff or transporter. Once this number is obtainedthere is no need to count the animals as they come off the trailer.

ypes o railers. Note the type o trailer.

I transporting swine, has the driver completed the National PorkBoard’s QA™ program? Tis area is to note whether adriver is currently certified in National Pork Board’s QA™training program or CL.

Cr Critria 2: st-p a laig Trair

1. Compartments gated – or swine and sheep only. In a standardcommercial swine trailer, all gates should be closed to segregatecompartments. Tere may be trailers with special sectional gating orreight gating where closure o all gates will not be required or evenpossible. I there are questions regarding the type o gating in thetrailer, please discuss with the driver.

I the auditor is unable to see i all the gates are closed, obtainthe inormation rom the driver or rom the plant staff that are

unloading the trailer. I all the gates are not closed, note the reasonon the audit orm (i.e. broken gate).

2. railer loaded at proper density. Te auditor may visuallyobserve the trailer. Signs o overcrowding or pigs may include:piling, excessive squealing, panting or open mouth breathing. Signs o overcrowding or cattle and sheep mayinclude: vocalization, animals not settled or animals standing on each other. With the gates closed,the livestock must have enough room to stand without climbing on top o each other. When there is aquestion about overcrowding, please reerence the transport space recommendations in this guide (page 5). 3. Incompatible animals segregated when required. Tis prevents the more aggressive animals rominjuring other animals in the trailer. Examples o appropriate segregation include keeping aggressive, intact

males separate rom emales and significantly larger animals separate rom smaller ones. Animals that arefit or transport, but may be weak or compromised, should be loaded on the back o the trailer so they do nothave to travel as ar to load and unload rom the trailer.

Farm/Livestock Trailer

Straight Trailer

Pot Belly/Drop Center Trailer

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4. railer properly aligned with the unloading area. As the transporter backs up they must be properlyaligned with the unloading ramp/dock. Driver should realign the trailer prior to unloading i it is not alignedproperly. Some plants will utilize transer mats or flippers to cover gaps. Tere must be no gaps between thedock/ramp and the bottom o the trailer exit. Tere must be no gaps between the back end o the trailer andthe side walls o the unloading area where livestock can get stuck.

sCoRInG:

For swine, each o the our criteria (gating, loading density, animal segregation and proper alignment) areworth one point each, or a total o our points or this core criteria. For cattle and sheep, each o the threecriteria (loading density, animal segregation and proper alignment) are worth one point each, or a total othree points or this core criteria. Te totals or all trailers audited will be added up at the end o the audit todetermine final score.

Excellent – 100% average scoreAcceptable – 80% average score or greaterNot Acceptable – Less than 80% average score

Serious Problem – Less than 70% average score

I any single truck scores below 70% indicating a serious problem, this should be noted on the audit orm.AMI recommends that a written warning be given and that the driver be told that an additional ailing scoremay result in the driver losing the privilege to deliver to the establishment.

eamp: 5 wi trair wr ait r a pi tta 20 pit.(5 trair pi 4 pit ii 20 )

#1 – 4 pts #2 – 4 pts #3 – 4 pts #4 – 3 pts #5 – 4 pts

Total = 19 pts 19/20 = 0.945 or 95%

Secondary Item: Non-slip, solid flooring. Te trailer must be outfitted with non-slip flooring to minimizeslips and alls o the animals. Examples o non-slip flooring would include, but not limited to, rubber mats,stamped tread, sand, shavings, steel reinorcement rods, etc. Tere must be no holes in the flooring or itemsthat can cause an animal to trip. With stamped tread, the tread should provide non-slip flooring.

Secondary Item: Gates and doors open reely and can be secured shut. All gates and roller doors ontrailers should open and close reely. Tey must be able to be saely secured shut and not have gaps or spaceswhere livestock can get their heads or legs stuck.

Secondary Item: Internal ramps unction properly and extend all the way to the floor. Internal rampsmust be able to be lowered down easily and secured into place when not in use. Tey must reach all the way tothe floor o the trailer and set level unless they are aligning with an adjustable chute. Tey must have non-slipflooring or steps and no holes or gaps where the animals can get stuck or injured.

Secondary Item: No sharp or protruding objects that can injure the animals. Tere can be no sharp orprotruding objects on the trailer that may injure the livestock. Tis includes on gates, pass through areas,trailer walls, the floor or ramps - anywhere that the animal may come in contact with the object.




39

Secondary Item: rucks ollow plant policy or best industry bedding practices (swine only). Beddingcan be essential or pigs to provide warmth in cold weather and to insulate the pigs rom potential rostbiterom the metal on the trailer. Tere are some regions, however, that may never use bedding due to warmerclimates. Cattle and sheep do not lie down during transportation and are less subject to cold stress so there isno bedding requirement. In cold climate conditions, bedding is recommended or cull dairy cows.

Secondary Item: Standing manure should be kept at a minimal level to prevent alling,utilizing the height o the hoo where the hoo meets the hairline (see picture) as a guideline. Ithe height o the manure is above the hoo hairline, monitor cattle as they move to observe or anyalling (there should not be any alling).

Secondary Item: Each plant should address bedding in their animal welare transportation policy,including noting when bedding is not needed due to climate. Since determining the exact amount obedding in the trailer is difficult rom an auditing prospective, this item is a secondary criteria. Afer swinehave trampled bedding, it is almost impossible to accurately measure bedding amounts or depth at the plant.Bedding amounts can be easily measured at the arm beore the swine are loaded. (For pigs, Reerence railerSet-Up Procedures During emperature Extremes in Chapter 1 o plant audit).

Secondary Item: Winter side slats or plugs are in place at recommended levels. Each plant should havewinter protection requirements as part o their plant’s animal welare transportation policy. Tis policy allowsor the climatic differences within all regions to be recognized. (Page six).

Cr Critria 3: Timi Arria thTrc a Trair a Aima uaig

Te timely arrival and prompt unloading o livestock is crucial to animal welare. Te risk to the welare othe animals is even greater during extreme temperatures. Ideally, unloading will begin within a hal hour oarrival and all animals will be completely unloaded within an hour.

Te plant, producer, transporter and load-out crew all have responsibilities in the timeliness o unloading.Some plants schedule the arrival o trailers or unloading to ensure a steady flow o livestock arriving atthe plant and to prevent back-ups. Te scheduler normally gives the transporters a window o time orarrival. For example, some may schedule within an hour window (i.e. arrive between 3pm and 4pm), whileother plants may provide a bigger window or arrival (i.e. arrive between 12pm and 3pm). Some plants mayinstruct the driver to load at a specific time on the arm so that they can estimate the time o arrival basedon average loading time and distance to plant. Tere may be circumstances where trucks are delayed due toroad closures, power outages, bad weather, or poor road conditions. Some animals load on the arm withmore difficulty than others. Tere may be a delay in the delivery o these animals to insure proper loading isaccomplished at the arm.

Tere are many variables in the delivery o livestock to an establishment. In some cases, even with a goodscheduling program, there can be several trailers arriving at the same time, which results in a delay o theunloading. Tese reasons may include inclement weather, the arrival o several trailers at one time, slowdown or shut down o plant production, lairage at capacity, unavailability o receiving staff, arrival o trailerbeore or afer receiving hours or difficulty unloading livestock. I there is a delay in unloading, the auditorshould note what caused the delay.

ransporters also have a responsibility in ensuring the timeliness o unloading. Drivers should do their bestto arrive during their scheduled times – arriving early or late can lead to a delay in the unloading o the traileror those who are arriving on time. I a driver is loading at a arm or auction with other transporters, thedriver should practice “load and leave.” Tis means the driver should leave immediately afer the loading o

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the trailer occurs. When scheduling trailers, the plants count on the driver to depart immediately ollowingloading. Tis allows the trailers to arrive in staggered intervals versus all at once. I a transporter is going tobe late, it is their responsibility to call the plant and notiy them o their new estimated time o arrival. I itappears that the driver will be arriving more than an hour beore or afer their scheduled time, they shouldcall the plant to notiy them o their new estimated time o arrival. Tere may be circumstances wherelivestock are held on trailers at an off-site location to prevent a backup o trailers at the plant.

Tough this practice may be implemented occasionally, it is discouraged, especially during extremeweather conditions.

sCoRInG:

For scoring the unloading process at the plant, the time begins as soon as the trailer arrives at the plant prem-ises and stops when the first animal walks off the trailer. Record the arrival time o the trailer. Te plant willreceive the ull 4 points i unloading o the trailer is started within 60 minutes o its arrival at the plant. Pointswill then be deducted or each 30 minutes past the 60 minutes it takes to start unloading. Actual arrival timeand time to unload (rom when the first animal steps off the trailer until the last animal walks off) will benoted separately as secondary items.

Pigs should be unloaded within 60 minutes, especially under extreme hot or cold weather conditions andat plants where there are no weather mitigation systems such as an banks, sprinkler systems, or shadesavailable. For cattle and sheep, animals should be unloaded within 60 minutes when the Livestock WeatherSaety Index enters the Danger Zone. At other times, they should be unloaded within two hours.

Pat gi aig withi:

60 minutes of arrival Full 4 points

61 – 90 minutes 3 out of 4 points

91 – 120 minutes 2 out of 4 points

≥ 120 minutes (with reason) 1 out of 4 points

≥ 120 minutes (without reason) 0 out of 4 points

Te totals or all trailers audited will be added up at the end o the audit to determine final score.

Excellent – 95% or greater score.Acceptable – 85% or greaterNot Acceptable – Less than 85%Serious Problem – Less than 80%

I any individual trailer has a “serious problem”, this should be noted on the audit orm.

eamp: 5 trair ait at a pat. 20 pi pit (5 trair 4).

#1 – 4 pts

#2 – 4 pts

#3 – 3 pts

#4 – 4 pts

#5 – 3 pts

Total = 18 pts 18/20 = 0.9 or 90%




41

Secondary Item: Amount o time it took to unload the trailer once unloading began. Please recordthe actual time it took to unload the animals. Tis will assist in providing a broader understanding o theunloading process. iming begins rom when the first animal steps off the trailer until the last animalwalks off.

Cr Critria 4: faFalls are to be scored in the unloading area only afer all our o the animal’s limbs are on the unloadingramp or dock. Slips will be scored as a secondary criterion and tallied under this core criterion. Please reerto Chapter 4, Core Criteria 3 or additional inormation and a scoring guide or alls. Additional secondarycriteria or the transportation audit are below and should be noted on the audit orm accordingly.

Excellent – No allingAcceptable – 1% or ewer alling (body touches floor)Not acceptable – More than 1% alling downSerious Problem – 5% or more alling down

Secondary Item: emperament o the livestock (Normal Moving or Difficult to Move)emperament o the livestock can be noted in this area to assist in providing additional inormation on theunloading o the livestock. Animals can have a desire to get off the trailer without any persuasion. I thereis a high incidence o slips or alls and the animals are noted as excitable, then a temperament problem is thelikely reason or the slips and alls. I there is a high incidence o slips and alls and the animals are noted asbeing docile, it is more likely that poor ooting is the problem.

Secondary Item: Did the person doing the unloading do so quietly and calmly? (Yes or No)Tis allows the auditor to note the behavior o the handler during the unloading process. I, during theunloading process, the handler excessively yells or screams, bangs on the trailer, or appears to be rough andimpatient during handling this should be noted. Tese comments may assist in explaining excessive slipsand alls and helps note the attitude o the handler.

Cr Critria 5: ectric Pr u

Electric prod use is to be scored in the unloading area only afer all our o the animal’s limbs are on theunloading ramp or dock. ouching an animal with a prod is scored whether the prod is energized or not.Please reer to Chapter 4, Core Criteria 5 or an in-depth discussion o prod use and scoring.

Criteria and scoring are the same in the plant audit and in the transportation audit.

Excellent – 5% or lessAcceptable – 25% or lessNot acceptable – More than 25%Serious Problem – 50% or more

Additional secondary criteria or the transportation audit are below and should be noted on the auditorm accordingly.

Secondary Item: Does the plant have a “No Electric Prod Use” policy posted? (Yes or No)Plants will all have an individual policy on electric prod use. Note here i the plant has a policy postedor no electric prod use in the unloading area.Secondary Item: Do the people unloading have an electric prod in their hands? (Yes or No)

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Note here whether the person(s) doing the unloading are carrying electric prods in their hands. Teremay be situations where the plant has a “no electric prod use policy” posted, but a driver chooses to usetheir own electric prod. Te auditor should describe clearly what the driver and animal handlingpersonnel are doing.

Secondary Item: Did the driver use the electric prod on the livestock in the trailer, through the

sides or roo o the trailer? (Yes or No)During unloading, you may observe a driver using an electric prod inside the trailer, placing an electric prodthrough the side slats or punch holes o a trailer or rom the roo hatches to encourage the movement o thelivestock out o the trailer. Since it is very difficult to judge exactly which animals and how many o them arebeing prodded, it can only be noted as a secondary item, but usage should be noted. It is important to notethis to provide a complete report o the unloading process.

Secondary Item: Were rattle paddles, sort boards, flags, or other handling tools used incorrectly? (Yes or No)See Core Criteria 1 or acceptable handling tools. Tese are tools designed to assist in unloading and movingo animals. Incorrect use o handling tools may include, but is not limited to, striking the animal with thetool (a strike is when the hand o the handler rises above their shoulders), or hitting the animalor abusing the animal with malicious intent.

Cr Critria 6: Citi Aima

Fitness or transport is one o the biggest welare issues during transport. An animal must be fit enough toendure the normal stress o transport. Animals that are compromised are more likely to become atigued,injured, immobile, or die during transport. Non-ambulatory compromised animals include severe lamenesswhere an animal is not able to bear weight on three legs. Other actors that may affect fitness during transportinclude weather, trailer condition, other animals, driver skill, genetics, ooting and length o journey.Compromised animals are scored in this core criterion.

Compromised Animals - Animals will be observed during unloading or fitness. Animals consideredcompromised are defined below. ally compromised animals in the column provided on the audit sheet. Ananimal can only be counted once as compromised.

Non-Ambulatory Pigs, Cattle, and Sheep – Non-ambulatory pigs are pigs that reuse to get up, are unable tostand unaided and are unable to bear weight on two o its legs (Source: National Pork Board). All animals thatare not able to walk will be scored as non-ambulatory.

Severe Injuries in Pigs, Cattle and Sheep – Examples o severe injuries or pigs include broken legs, bleedinggashes or deep, visible cuts, prolapses (larger than a baseball or dark in color and necrotic), and body pressuresores. For cattle and sheep severe injuries include broken legs, bleeding gashes or deep, visible cuts, prolapsesand severe cancer eye. For sheep, be sure to exclude superficial shearing cuts that go no deeper than the skin

layer.

Fatigued Pigs/Heat Stressed Cattle and Sheep – Fatigued pigs are pigs that have temporarily lost the abilityor the desire to walk but have a reasonable expectation to recover ull locomotion with rest (Source: NationalPork Board). Cattle and sheep experiencing heat stress will exhibit open-mouthed panting and may bereluctant to move.




43

Frostbite (SWINE ONLY) – Visible signs o rostbite include purple/dark pink patches on the skin which isespecially apparent on light colored pigs will be scored. Tis may occur during extreme cold temperatures (seeWeather Saety Index, page six).

Calving, arrowing or lambing – Animals that have or are in the process o delivering on the trailer.

sCoRInG:

All compromised animals are tallied together or all loads. Te total is then divided by the total numbero animals audited.

sWIne:

Excellent – 1% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Acceptable – 3% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Not Acceptable – More than 3% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Serious Problem – More than 4% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

CATTle/sHeeP:

Excellent – 1% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Acceptable – 2% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Not Acceptable – More than 2% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.Serious Problem – More than 3% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

swi eamp: 5 trair ar ait. 925 tta pig ait a 5 trair.

CompromisedTrailer #1 3 pigs

Trailer #2 1 pigs

Trailer #3 6 pigs

Trailer #4 2 pigs

Trailer #5 4 pigs

Totals 16 pigs

16/925 = 0.017 or 1.7%

Secondary Item: Number o dead animals on the trailer. Dead on Arrivals (DOAs) are animals that aredead on the trailer. Tis does not include animals that are euthanized afer arrival at the plant. Animals thatrequire euthanasia would be classified as compromised. DOAs will be tallied here and noted on the finalaudit report, but not scored.

Secondary Item: Does the plant have a method or communicating back to the site o trailer loading? Inrequently, trailers arrive at plants containing excessive number o DOAs or animals in other suchcompromised situations. Plants should have a practice o communicating these issues back to the producer orsite o loading so they can make corrections or address issues with the truck driver. I such conditions occur,please note this on the audit orm.

CHAPTeR 3: CoRe CRITeRIA 6 | CondITIon of AnIMAl ConTInued



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Secondary Item: Were any o the ani-mals unloaded considered emaciatedor in poor body condition? Tis secondary item is specific orplants receiving cull animals. Emaci-ated pigs will be extremely narrow in

the loin, have a hollow flank area, theirribs and backbones that can be easilyseen. Cattle in poor body conditionwill be extremely thin and emaciated;their ribs and backbones can be easily seen. Te severely thin attributes othese animals compromise their mobility, cause severe weakness and leadto debilitation. Tese animals will be tallied here and noted on final auditreport but not scored.

Secondary Item: Did any o the cattle have poor udder conditions? Tis secondary item is specific or plants receiving cull cattle (dairy andbee). Poor udder condition includes udders that descend more than 3inches (7.6 cm) below the hock,significantly push out againstthe rear legs causing difficulty omovement or highly distendedudders which cause obviouspain/distress to the cow. Cowswith poor udder conditions willbe tallied here and noted onfinal audit report but not scored.

Secondary Item: Number o Ambulatory Disabled Animals. Explanation of lameness scoring: Te Zinpro cattle

lameness scoring system (www.Zinpro.com/lameness) has a score o one as being normal and a maximum scoreo five where the animal has great difficult walking. Te Zinpro pig lameness scoring system has a score o zero asnormal and a maximum score o three or the animal that has great difficulty walking. It is a our point scale.

Score severely lame, market weight steers, heiers, barrows, gilts or lambs. Tese animals score 4 or 5 on the cattlescale or 2 or 3 on the pig scale. Use pig scale or sheep. Severely lame market weight animals are not able to keepup with other animals when the group is walking. Tis does not include ully ambulatory cull breeding stocksuch as dairy cows, bee cows, sows, boars, ewes or rams unless they score a 5 on the cattle scale or a 3 on the pigscale. Score 5 on the cattle scale and score 3 on the pig scale are on animals that have great difficulty walking.

Cr Critria 7: Wi Act A/egrgi Act

Any willul act o abuse is grounds or automatic audit ailure.

Willul acts o abuse include, but are not limited to:1) Dragging a conscious, non-ambulatory animal; 2) intentionally applying prods to sensitive parts o the animalsuch as the eyes, ears, nose, anus or testicles; 3) deliberate slamming o gates on livestock; 4) malicious driving oambulatory livestock on top o one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment.Tis excludes use o a bucket loader, or sled or example, to load a non-ambulatory animal or transport; 5) hit-ting or beating an animal; or 6) live or dead animals rozen to the floor or sides o the trailer. In sheep opera-tions, lifing an animal by the wool or throwing a sheep also is an act o abuse.




45

CHAPTeR 4: AudITInG AnIMAl HAndlInG And sTunnInG

Tis chapter covers auditing animal handling and stunning in packing plants. It includes the AMIFtransportation, pig, cattle, and sheep slaughter audit orms that can be used as part o a corporate animalwelare program.

Cr Critria 1: ecti stig

ec Cap bt stig

When evaluating the effectiveness o captive bolt stunning, the auditor monitors whether or not an animal isrendered insensible with a single shot.

Score a minimum o 100 animals in large plants and 50 in plants that process 50 to 99 per hour. In very smallplants, which process less than 50 animals per hour, score one hour o production. For a more accurateassessment in small plants, data collected over a period o time should be averaged. Tese criteria apply toall species.

Excellent – 99 percent or more instantly rendered insensible with one shotAcceptable – 95 percent or more instantly rendered insensible with one shotNot Acceptable – less than 95 percent instantly rendered insensible with one shotSerious Problem – less than 90 percent instantly rendered insensible with one shot

I one-shot efficacy alls below 95 percent, immediate action must be taken to improve the percentage. Notethat shots in the air where the animal is not touched do not count as missed shots. I the stunner bolt makesany visible mark or injury on the animal, a missed shot is counted. ouching with the outer housing thatsurrounds the bolt does not count as a missed shot. Some plants routinely shoot animals twice to insureinsensibility. In this situation, the auditor must examine the animal or return to sensibility beore the secondshot is applied. Tis is necessary to insure that the stunner is capable o rendering 95 percent or more o theanimals insensible with a single shot.

ec ectrica stig Pig a shp

When evaluating effective electrical stunning, the auditor monitors the correct placement o stunning wandsand tongs. I head only stunning is used, the tongs must be placed so that the current passes through thebrain. ongs may be placed on both sides o the head or one tong on the top and the other on the bottom othe head. Another scientifically verified location or head only stunning with a stunner with two fixed prongsis to place the prongs on either the hollow behind both ears or on the orehead. Stunning tongs or wands mustnever be placed on the neck because the current will bypass the brain.

For cardiac arrest stunning o pigs and sheep with a single stunning current, one electrode must be placed

on the body and the other one must be placed either on the orehead, side o the head, top o the head, or inthe hollow behind the ear. Te head electrode must never be placed on the neck because this would cause thecurrent to bypass the brain. Electrodes must not be applied to sensitive areas such as inside the ear or in theeye or anus. Electrodes must be placed firmly against the animal because breaking electrical contact duringthe stun may reduce the effectiveness o the stun. In addition, it is essential that electrodes be ully energizedonly afer they are in ull and firm contact with animals. I electrodes are energized and then applied, animalswill squeal. Tis is called “hot wanding.” No more than one percent o animals should vocalize due to hotwanding. Hot wanding should not be measured or sheep because they do not vocalize when they are hurt.

CHAPTeR 4: CoRe CRITeRIA 1 | AudITInG AnIMAl HAndlInG And sTunnInG



46

Score a minimum o 100 pigs or sheep in large plants that process more than 100 animals per hour and 50in plants that process 50 to 99 per hour. In very small plants score one hour production. Use whole numbersor 100 and 50 animal audits. For data collection on large numbers o animals, the ractional percentages canalso be used.

ec ectrica stig Pig a shp

vcaiza t

Rag Pacmt Critria pacmt rgiz wa

Excellent 100 percent correct placement No vocalizaon

Acceptable 99 percent correct placement 1 percent or less

Not Acceptable Less than 99 percent correct placement More than one percent,

up to four percent

Serious Problem Less than 96 percent correct placement More than four percent

Co2 stig Pig

Te efficacy o CO2 and other types o gas stunning methods is determined when insensibility is scored.

Te core criterion is that the animal remains insensible afer exiting the chamber. However, the gondola orother conveyance or moving animals into the gas system must also be evaluated or animal handling. Tegondolas, elevator boxes or other apparatus used or moving the animals in and out o the gas must not beoverloaded. Score 50 gondolas in large plants that process more than 500 pigs per hour per CO

2 machine to determine the

percentage o gondolas (elevator boxes) that are overloaded. In small plants score 25 gondolas. A gondola orelevator is to be scored as overloaded i there is not sufficient space or the animals to standor lie down without being on top o each other. Score on a per gondola basis:

Excellent – No gondolas are overloaded on a 50 gondola auditAcceptable – Four percent or less o gondolas are overloadedNot Acceptable – More than our percent are overloadedSerious Problem – Te person moving the animals orces one or more pigs to jump on top o the other pigsin the gondolas with an electric prod or by hitting, shoving or kicking.

For gas systems where the animals ride head to tail on a continuous conveyor that does not have separate

animal compartments, do not use this scoring system. Omit this score and score the percentage o animalsprodded with an electric prod. Electric prod scoring is discussed on page 51.

stig t b Itra

Tis parameter does not have to be measured or welare reasons unless non-penetrating captive bolt orhead only reversible electric stunning is used. o avoid return to sensibility, animals stunned with a non-penetrating captive bolt should be bled promptly, but no longer than 30 seconds afer stunning.

CHAPTeR 4 | AudITInG AnIMAl HAndlInG And sTunnInG ConTInued



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Cr Critria 2: b Rai Iiiit

Properly stunned animals should not display signs of sensibility hanging on the bleed rail. Auditors shouldmonitor a minimum of 100 animals in large plants and look for signs of partial sensibility, such as eye reflexes,nose twitches or the righting reflex. When a 100 animal audit is performed, 100 percent must be renderedinsensible. Tere is a zero tolerance for beginning any slaughter procedure such as skinning the head, leg removal

or scalding on an animal that shows any sign of return to sensibility. It must be immediately re-stunned.

Te signs o returning to sensibility or all types o stunning are: 1) rhythmic breathing (score i the ribsmoved in and out at least twice), 2) vocalizations while hanging on the bleed rail, 3) a stiff, curled tongue;4) eye blinking like a live animal in the yards; 5) arched back righting reflex with the head bent straightback; and 6) response to a pin prick on the nose. Apply to nose only. Any one or combination o these signsrepresents a sensible animal. Animals will sometimes have a sideways neck flexion that relaxes in a ewseconds. Tis must not be conused with a righting reflex.

All species should have a limp, floppy head. Cattle and pigs should hang straight on the rail and have a floppyhead. Sheep may hang with a raised head due to differences in anatomy, but their heads must be floppy. A head

that flops upward or a brie moment when the legs kick should not be conused with a righting reflex in whichan animal is clearly trying to remove itsel rom the rail. Uncoordinated limb movements should be ignoredafer all types o stunning. I the tongue is hanging straight out and is limp and sof, the animal is definitelyinsensible. Gasping like a fish out o water is a sign o a dying brain and should be ignored. However, twitchingnoses, or the tongue moving in and out, are signs o possible insensibility. With certain types o electricstunners, the seizure may mask the limp and floppy head or up to 60 seconds in properly stunned animals.

ouching the eye and observing the corneal reflex is a good method or determining insensibility in animalsstunned with captive bolt. ouching an electrically stunned pig’s eye may cause it to pop open suddenly,which may be misinterpreted as a blink. Te person scoring insensibility should look or spontaneous, naturalblinks. A pig that blinks spontaneously would be scored as sensible. Nystagmus, or vibrating eyelids, is a signo a poor stun in captive bolt stunned animals. However, in electrically stunned animals, it is permissible to

have some animals with vibrating lids or eyes. (See chart o page 26.)

While no sensible animal should be observed hanging on the bleed rail during a 100-head audit, on rareoccasions, it is possible that an animal with partial return to sensibility will be observed. Use these figureswhen evaluating plant perormance over time by averaging the scores o many audits. When a secondapplication o the stunner is done in any location beore the animal is hoisted, it is counted as a second shot.It is not counted as a sensible animal on the bleed rail.

Ca Iiiit

Shows one or more signs o partial return to sensibility:

Excellent – 1 per 1,000 or lessAcceptable

– 1 per 500 or less

Pig a shp Iiiit

Shows one or more signs o partial return to sensibility:

Excellent – 1 per 2,000 or lessAcceptable – 1 per 1,000 or less

For all o the species: Dressing procedures such as skinning, scalding, limb removal, etc. must never beperormed on an animal showing any sign o a return to sensibility. Te animal MUS be restunned.

CHAPTeR 4: CoRe CRITeRIA 2 | bleed RAIl InsensIbIlITy



48

Cr Critria 3: faig

Good animal welare and quiet calm handling is impossible i animals slip or all on the floor. All areas whereanimals walk should have non-slip ooting. Animals should be observed during all phases o handling romthe crowd pen to the stunning chute, and i slipping or alling is observed, steps should be taken to correct theproblem. Because survey results indicate that the greatest slipping and alling problems were in the stunning

chute area, scoring should be done in this area. Because o concerns about alling at unloading, alling shouldalso be measured here.

It is important to be clear about the definitions o alls. Tey are as ollows:

A all occurs when an animal loses an upright position suddenly in which a part o the body other thanthe limbs touches the ground. All alls that occur in a stun box or restrainer beore stunning or religiousslaughter are counted as alls. Equipment that is designed to cause alling beore stunning or religiousslaughter should not be used.

Scoring o Falling in the Unloading Area (All Species)— In large plants where multiple vehicles arecontinuously unloaded, 100 cattle, pigs or sheep should be scored. For cattle, unloading is continuouslyobserved until 100 cattle rom three different vehicles are scored. For pigs and sheep where a large truckholds more than 100 animals, a minimum o two vehicles should be observed. Fify animals are scored romeach truck. For all species, an equal number o animals rom each deck should be scored. Vehicles should bescored in the order o arrival at the unloading ramp. I the transport audit is not perormed, alling is scoredat truck unloading as part o the plant audit.

In small plants where vehicles are not continuously unloaded, a single vehicle should be scored.I no vehicle arrives, the score sheet is marked “unloading not observed.”

Excellent – No allingAcceptable – One percent or ewer alling (body touches floor)

Not Acceptable – More than one percent alling downSerious Problem – Five percent or more alling down

Scoring o Falling in the Stunning Chute Area (All Species)— Score a minimum o 50 animals inlarge plants. In most plants that have non-slip flooring, alling seldom occurs. In act, problems with slippingor alling are usually either a big problem or almost no problem. Formal scoring should be donei alling is observed.

Score in the restrainer entrance, stunning box, lead up chute, crowd pen and in the final loading pen wherepigs move into a gondola or other conveyance or gas stunning. Observation without ormal scoring shouldbe made in the stockyard pens and scales.

Excellent – No allingAcceptable – Fewer than one percent alling (body touches floor)Not Acceptable – More than one percent alling downSerious Problem – Five percent or more alling down

For scoring o very small plants, see page 53.




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Cr Critria 4: vcaizati

Ca vcaiza scrig i th Crw P, la-p Cht, stig br Rtrait dic

Vocalization is an indicator o cattle discomort during handling, restraint and stunning.

Score a minimum o 100 animals in large plants and 50 in smaller plants. For data collection on largenumbers o animals, the ractional percentages can be used. A single animal that vocalizes more than once iscounted as one vocalization.

Excellent – One percent or less o the cattle vocalizeAcceptable – Tree percent or less o the cattle vocalizeNot Acceptable – More than three percent vocalizeSerious Problem – More than 10 percent vocalize

Where a head holder is used, five percent vocalization is acceptable.

Cattle should be stunned immediately afer they enter a stun box or restrainer. Isolated animals will ofen vocalize. Te author has observed that vocalization scoring is very efficient or identiying plants with cattlehandling or equipment problems. Vocalization scoring works well in packing plants because cattle arestunned quickly afer they are restrained.

When vocalization is being evaluated, cattle rom more than one eedlot or ranch should be observed. Tereare variations in the tendency o some cattle to vocalize. o make the scoring simpler, each animal should beclassified as either a vocalizer or a non-vocalizer.

Cattle vocalizations are tabulated in the crowd-pen, lead-up chute, restrainer and stun box. All vocalizinganimals in the stun box, restrainer or religious slaughter box are scored. Vocalizing animals in the crowd-

pen and lead-up chute are scored only during active handling when the handler is moving the animals.Vocalizations occurring in the yards should not be tabulated because cattle standing quietly in the yards willofen vocalize to each other. See page 53 or additional inormation on vocalization.

vcaiza scrig Pig

Because it is impossible to count individual pig squeals when a group o pigs is being handled, vocalizationscoring o individual pigs can only be conducted in the restrainer, stun box or group stunning pen. A groupo pigs that excessively squeals should be assessed to identiy the cause. Only provoked vocalizations duringactive handling are counted.

It is important to count squeals only and not grunts. Te U.S. Department o Agriculture (USDA) definesa squeal as an extended sound (0.5 - 2.0 sec.) o both high amplitude and high requency produced with

an open mouth, indicative o a high level o excitement, ear, or pain. Score only the squeals that can bedetermined to be provoked by equipment or humans. Squealing that occurs when pigs root under eachother or jump on top o each other is counted if provoked by electric prods, yelling, poking or hitting thepigs. I there is no way to identiy the cause o a vocalization, it shouldnot be counted.

During handling, there are six major causes o provoked squeals/vocalizations that include, but are notlimited to:

1. Electric prod use2. Sharp edges

CHAPTeR 4: CoRe CRITeRIA 4 | voCAlIZATIon



50

3. Sores or poor body condition4. Pressure rom the hold-down rack 5. Sides o a v-restrainer moving at different speeds, and6. Hitting or poking livestock.

I you cannot determine a cause, the squeal should be treated as unprovoked. Vocalizations caused by

hot wanding a pig are scored as part o the stunning score. Do not score them as part o the pig handling vocalization score.

Score pig squeals afer the most posterior part o the hind end is past the restrainer entrance. Te definitiono the restrainer entrance or different types o equipment is listed below.

1. V conveyor restrainer – Te entrance point is located on the outer circumerence o the slats where theyturn around the sprocket (pivot).

2. Center track conveyor restrainer – Te entrance point is located at the point where the conveyor emergesrom the housing and is exposed. In the unlikely event that a pig squeals because both legs and eet get onone side o the center track, the squeal would be counted.

3. Stun box – Te entrance point is located on the inside surace o the tailgate.

4. Group floor stunning – Te entrance point is the gate where the pigs enter the stunning pen. Score aferthe pigs enter and the gate is closed.

Another simple method or monitoring continuous improvement within a plant is estimating the percentageo time that the entire stunning room is quiet. As each pig is stunned, the person doing the scoring checks offwhether or not the room was quiet. Te score is the percentage o stunning cycles where the room was quiet.When CO

2 stunning is evaluated, a stunning cycle consists o the time to fill a gondola. Because vocalization

scores can vary by auditor, number o pigs and by room acoustics, room vocalization scores are difficult tocompare across plants and should not be measured by third party auditors. Tis is or internal use only.

However, one can conclude that a plant that has continuous, constant squealing may have pig welareproblems. Tis method is excellent or internal plant monitoring over time.

Critria r vcaiza Pig i Cr Rtrair

Do not score grunts, squeals that can be attributed to a misapplied stun wand or squeals that appearunprovoked by humans or by equipment. Score a minimum o 100 pigs in large plants and 50 pigs in smallerplants.

Excellent – wo percent or less o the pigs squeal.Acceptable – Five percent or less o the pigs squeal due to the restrainer; none due to a misapplied stunner.Not Acceptable – More than five percent squeal in the restrainer.Serious Problem – More than 10 percent squeal in the restrainer.

When 50 or less pigs are scored, a single squealing pig is acceptable. When more data is collected and

averaged, use the five percent level or an acceptable rating.

Critria r Rm vcaiza

(Should be used in internal audits only and not compared across plants)

Score a minimum o 100 pigs in large plants and 50 pigs in smaller plants.

Acceptable – 50 percent or more o the time the room is quiet.




51

vcaiza scrig shp

Observations at a sheep slaughter plant indicated that vocalization during handling is not an effectivemeasure o handling problems in sheep. Sheep walking quietly up the stunning chute ofen vocalizeto each other. Sheep which balked and had to be pushed by a person never vocalized. Tis is a speciesdifference between cattle and sheep and neither the presence nor absence o vocalization should be

used as a measure.For scoring very small plants, see page 53.


Reducing the use o electric prods will improve animal welare. Shocking livestock with electric prodssignificantly raises heart rate, open mouth breathing and many other physiological measures.

Revisions to this standard are based on data collected rom 26 plants that were audited by McDonald’s during1999 and 2000 (www.grandin.com). In 2000, 68 percent o the plants used no electric prods in the crowdpen and 62 percent used an electric prod on fifeen percent or less o the pigs at the restrainer entrance. Forpurposes o auditing, touching livestock with an electric prod is counted whether the prod is energized or not.

Cr Critria 5: ectric Pr scrig Critria r Ca

Prctag Aima Pr

Excellent 5 percent or less

Acceptable 25 percent or less

Not Acceptable more than 25 percent

Serious Problem 50 percent or more

Cr Critria 5: ectric Pr scrig Critria r Pig etrig

I sig fi i eithr ectric r Co2 stm

Prctag Aima Pr

Excellent 10 percent or less




Cr Critria 5: ectric Pr scrig r Pig With Co2 /Grp stig stm–

(n sig fi Cht) r stm Whr Pig Ar st th fr i Grp

Prctag Aima Pr

Excellent 0 percent


Not Acceptable more than 5 percent Serious Problem 10 percent ore more

Cr Critria 5: ectric Pr scrig shp

Prctag Aima Pr

Excellent 0 percent




CHAPTeR 4: CoRe CRITeRIA 4 , 5 | eleCTRIC PRod use



52

Note: Electric prods should only rarely be used on sheep. The only place they should be used is at the

restrainer entrance on large sheep that refuse to enter. The OIE (2008) internaonal slaughter guidelines

state that electric prods should not be used on sheep. There are some very large sheep that are dicult for

a person to push manually into the restrainer. A single applicaon of an electric prod may be required to

move them.


Any willul act o abuse is grounds or automatic audit ailure. Willul acts o abuse include, but are notlimited to: 1) Dragging a conscious, non-ambulatory animal; 2) intentionally applying prods to sensitiveparts o the animal such as the eyes, ears, nose, anus or testicles; 3) deliberate slamming o gates on livestock;4) malicious driving o ambulatory livestock on top o one another either manually or withdirect contact with motorized equipment. Tis excludes use o a bucket loader, or sled or example, toload a non-ambulatory animal or transport; 5) hitting or beating an animal; or 6) animals rozento the floor or sides o the trailer. In sheep operations, lifing an animal by the wool or throwing a sheep alsois an act o abuse.

Cr Critria 7: Acc t WatrAll livestock should have access to clean water in holding pens (lairage) in plants. Each pen must have a watertrough, water nipples (in the case o pigs) or other water source. I livestock are non-ambulatory, plants shouldprovide shallow water pans, buckets or water sources within easy reach o livestock. Active handling areassuch as unloading pens, staging alleys and crowd pens do not require access to water unless livestock are heldor more than 30 minutes in those areas.

Aitig Mtip factr simta

In many plants, it is possible to score more than one core criteria at a time. In fact, in some small plants, itmay be essential because you may not have the opportunity to observe a sufficient number of animals ifeach core criteria is audited separately.

Due to variance in plant layout and design, auditors must determine where they can stand to observemultiple criteria. It is essential that views be unobstructed.

When auditing, i a steer vocalizes when it is poked with an electric prod, that is scored as one point or use othe prod and one additional point or the vocalization. Vocalization scoring is per animal. I the same steermoos three times, it is still one point or vocalization. A series o moos in very rapid succession should bescored as a single animal. A single distressed cow or steer will ofen vocalize with several short moos that areclosely spaced.

When slips and alls are scored in the crowd pen, all slips and alls that occur in the crowd pen and in thegroups o animals entering the crowd pen are counted. I a slip or a all is observed in a group o animals thatis outside this area, it is not part o the ormal score or the crowd pen. It should be noted in the comments.

I it appears that some other area o the yards has a problem with alling, the auditor should move to this areaand score it.

When stunning is being scored, all slips, alls, and electric prod that can be observed are scored. In cattle,all vocalizations that occur in the stun box or religious slaughter box are scored. In pigs, only vocalizationsprovoked by electric pods or equipment problems are scored.

If you have already observed 100 animals to count prod scoring and you see a prod used in another area, you do not count it because your prod scoring has been completed.

However, if you observe use of prod, for example, that is an egregious act of abuse, that should bedocumented as an egregious act even if you have already prod scored 100 animals. Egregious acts alwayscount and they always result in a failed audit.




53

scrig vr sma Pat

Small bee plants that process 25 or ewer bee cattle per hour may need adjustments in scoring due to smallsample size and differences in cattle behavior. Ideally, 50 or more cattle should be scored, but this is ofen notpractical in a plant that processes 5 to 10 cattle per hour.

ypically, even in very small pig plants, a larger number o pigs will be available. I larger numbers areavailable even in very small pig plants, they should be used to improve the reliability o the audit.

For a plant’s own internal audit, data should be pooled and averaged. Pooled small data sets can be scored perthe American Meat Institute Foundation’s guidelines.

When an outside auditor audits a small plant, sometimes only 10 to 20 cattle are observed. I one stun weremissed, the plant would not achieve the 95 percent acceptable score. I passing or ailing the stunning audit isbased on a single small data set, one miss should be permitted. However, on pooled data, the 95 percent firstshot efficacy score must be maintained. On small data sets o 10 to 20 cattle, all cattle (100 percent) must berendered insensible prior to hoisting to pass the audit.

In very small bee plants with line speeds o less than 25 cattle per hour, the animals may stand or longperiods in the single file chute (race) and “talk” to each other. Teir “talking” vocalizations are not scored.“alking” vocalizations in the handling system occur more ofen at slow line speeds. An animal should bescored as a vocalizer i the vocalization is associated with:

1. Poking with an electric prod.

2. Slipping or alling.

3. Vocalizing in the stun box.

4. Poking by sharp edges on equipment.

5. Hitting with a gate.

6. Excessive pressure rom a restraint device.

7. Missed stuns.

8. Physical abuse by a person.

9. Signs o agitation such as rearing, jumping, repeated backing up in the

single file race or rantic attempts to escape.

10. Isolation o a single animal away rom other animals.

Cci

An acceptable level o animal welare can be maintained i scores or the core criteria or stunning, animalinsensibility, slipping and alling, vocalization and electric prod use are in the acceptable range. Scoringperormance on these variables is simple and easy to do under commercial plant conditions.

In conclusion, managers must be committed to good animal welare. Plants that have managers who insist ongood handling and stunning practices tend to have better results. Positive and negative eedback also is veryimportant. You manage the things that you measure, which is why auditing is important. Maintaining goodhandling and stunning practices requires continuous measurement, monitoring and management.

CHAPTeR 4: CoRe CRITeRIA 6, 7 | WIllful ACTs of Abuse, ACCess To WATeR



54

CHAPTeR 5: offICIAl AMI foundATIon AudIT foRMs

Ocial AMI Foundaon Audit Forms are included in the following secon and are

indicated with the AMI Foundaon logo. These forms are dated. Updates to these

forms may be made based upon new informaon and user feedback.

Any updated forms will be posted on www.aimahaig.rg

CHAPTeR 5 | offICIAl AMI foundATIon AudIT foRMs



55

TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: CATTle

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

nam a aig cmpa: ______________________________________________________________________

Pat ca: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Plant contact: ___________________________________________________________________________________

nmr trc ait: _________________________________________________________________________

Tmpratr/wathr ci: ___________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 1: Pat traprtati pic a prpar r rciig aima.

1. Plant has wrien animal welfare policy for transporters. _________ / 1

2. Plant provides extreme temperature management tools. _________ / 1

3. Arrival management process minimizes waing me at the plant. _________ / 1

4. Emergency plans in place for animals in transit. _________ / 1

5. Wrien policy for immobile and fagued animals and tools available for handling. _________ / 1

6. Acceptable handling tools available and ulized as needed. _________ / 1

7. Availability of acceptable euthanasia tools. _________ / 1

8. Maintenance records for euthanasia equipment, proper storage and employee

training for euthanasia. _________ / 1

9. Gates in unloading area swing freely, latch securely and have no sharp protrusions. _________ / 1

10. Non-slip ooring. _________ / 1

11. Unloading area and ramps in good repair. _________ / 1

12. Adequate lighng. _________ / 1

13. Sta available for receiving animals. _________ / 1

Tta r Cr Critria 1: __________ / 13

Excellent – 13 of the criteria met

Accpta – 11 or 12 of the criteria met

nt Accpta – 8 to 10 of the criteria met

sri Prm – 7 or fewer of the criteria met

CoMMenTs foR CoRe CRITeRIA 1

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: CATTle



56

Score each truck using the following audit score sheet for Core Criteria 2 – 7. You will need to make a copy

of the remaining pages for each truck. At the end of the audit, the points for each load will be added

together to obtain the nal score for each of the core criteria.

Trailer #: ________ Tta # aima trair: _________

Tp Trair: Straight Trailer Drop Center/Pot Belly Trailer Farm Trailer Other

Ca Tp (circle all that apply): Fed Cale Cull Dairy Cows Cull Beef Cows Mature Bulls

Cr Critria 2: st-p, aig a aigmt trair.

1. Trailer loaded at proper density. ___________ / 1

2. Incompable animals segregated when required. ___________ / 1

3. Trailer properly aligned with the unloading area to prevent extremies

from being caught in gaps. ___________ / 1

Tta r Cr Critria 2: ___________ / 3

Individual truck scores will be averaged together. At least two trucks must be scored.

See nal scoring form for calculatons.

Excellent – 100% average score

Accpta – 80% average score or greater

nt Accpta – Less than 80% average score

sri Prm – Less than 70% average score


_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 3: Timi arria th trc a trair a aima aig.

Tim trc/trair arri t pat: ___________ Tim rt aima a: __________

Tta m t gi aig: _______________

Pat gi aig withi:

60 minutes of arrival = Full 4 points

61 to 90 minutes = 3 out of 4 points


≥ 120 minutes (with reason) = 1 out of 4 points

≥ 120 minutes (without reason) = 0 out of 4 points

Tta r Cr Critria 3: ___________ / 4

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: CATTle ConTInued



57



Excellent – 95% or greater

Accpta – 85% or greater

nt Accpta – Less than 85%

sri Prm – Less than 80%


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 4: fa

Tta mr a (ta a hr): _________ Percent: ____________

Excellent – No falling

Accpta – 1% or fewer falling (body touches oor)

nt accpta – More than 1% falling down

sri prm – 5% or more falling down


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


Tta mr aima ctrica pr rig aig

(ta ctric pr hr): ________________ Percent: ____________

Excellent – 5% or less

Accpta – 25% or less

nt accpta – More than 25%

sri prm – 50% or more


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




58


Non-ambulatory animals (tally here): __________

Severely injured animals (tally here): __________

Heat-stressed animals (tally here): ____________

Calving (tally here): _________________________

Tta r Cr Critria 6: ____________________ Percent: ____________

Excellent –1% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

Accpta –2% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

nt Accpta –More than 2% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

sri Prm –More than 3% compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________


A wi act a/grgi act gr r atmac ait air. Willful acts of abuse include, but

are not limited to:

1) Dragging a conscious, non-ambulatory animal; 2) intenonally applying prods to sensive parts of the animal such as

the eyes, ears, nose, anus or tescles; 3) deliberate slamming of gates on livestock; 4) malicious driving of ambulatory

livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment.

This excludes use of a bucket loader, or sled for example, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport; 5) hing

or beang an animal; or 6) live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer.

Any willful act of abuse observed? Yes or No

CoMMenTs foR WIllful ACTs of Abuse

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




59

Catt Traprtati Ait frm - fia scrig

Cr Critria Tta a trc Tta mr aimaait r tta pit aaia

Actual % Pass or Fail

Cr Critria 1Plant Audit

13

Cr Critria 2

Set up, loading andalignment of trailer

(# of trucks x 3 points divided by # oftrucks)

Cr Critria 3Timeliness of arrival

and unloading

(# of trucks x 4)

Cr Critria 4

Falls

(Total # of falls)

Cr Critria 5Electric Prod Use

(Total # electrically prodded)

Cr Critria 6Condion of Animals

(Total # of compromised animals)

Cr Critria 7

Any willful acts ofabuse observed?

(Yes or No)

Notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Passed all numerically scored criteria? Yes or No

nt:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Auditor Signature: ________________________________________Date: ____________________________________




60

scar Itm rm Catt Ait

scar Itm Withi Cr Critria 2

1. Non-slip, solid ooring. Yes or No

2. Gates and doors open freely and can be secured shut. Yes or No3. Internal ramps funcon properly and extend all the way to the oor. Yes or No

4. No sharp or protruding objects that can injure the animals. Yes or No

5. No manure over the level of the hoof. Yes or No

6. If transporng dairy cows and some cull beef cows: Winter side slats

or plugs are in place at recommended levels? Yes or No

Cmmt scar Itm Withi Cr Critria 2:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

scar Itm withi Cr Critria 3:

Time rst animal unloads: _______________________ Time last animal unloads: _________

Total unload me: _____________________________

Provide comment on trailers that may have experienced problems or lengthy unloading mes:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


1. Total number of slips (tally slips here): ___________

2. Temperament of livestock (circle one): Normal Moving Dicult to Move

Note any problems or comments on livestock temperament. For example there may have been a high number of slips

on one load and the temperament of the animals may have been a factor:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




61

3. Did the person doing the unloading do so quietly and calmly? Yes or No

Comment on the atude and behavior of the people unloading the livestock here. As an example, their temperament

may be correlated to the number of slips and falls:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


1. Does the plant have a “No Electric Prod Use” policy posted? Yes or No

2. Do the people unloading have electric prods in their hands? Yes or No

3. Did the driver use an electric prod in or through the sides or roof of the trailer? Yes or No

4. Were rale paddles, sort boards, ags, or other handling tools used incorrectly? Yes or No

Comment on the use of electric prods here and if acceptable handling tools were used incorrectly:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


1. Number of dead animals on the trailer (tally animals here): ___________

2. Does the plant have a method for communicang back to the site of trailer loading? Yes or No

3. Were any of the animals unloaded considered emaciated or in poor body condion? Yes or No

If yes, tally the number of animals here:

4. Did any of the cale have poor udder condions? Yes or No

If yes, tally the number of animals here: __________________

5. Number of ambulatory disabled animals (tally here): ___ __ ____ _

Comment on the number of dead or emaciated animals or animals with poor udder condions on the trailer:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon seCondARy ITeMs: CATTle AudIT ConTInued



62

TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sWIne

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

nam a aig cmpa: ______________________________________________________________________

Pat ca: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Plant contact: ___________________________________________________________________________________

nmr trc ait: _________________________________________________________________________

Tmpratr/wathr ci: ___________________________________________________________________





4. Emergency plans in place for animals in transit. _________ / 15. Wrien policy for immobile and fagued animals and tools available for handling. _________ / 1






10. Non-slip ooring. _________ / 1




Tta r Cr Critria 1: __________ / 13






_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Score each truck using the following audit score sheet for Core Criteria 2 – 7. You will need to make a copy of the

remaining pages for each truck. At the end of the audit, the points for each load will be added together to obtain the

nal score for each of the core criteria.

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sWIne



63



swi Tp (circle all that apply): Market Pigs Cull Sows Mature Boars

Ha th rir cmpt th naa Pr bar’ TQA™ prgram r th Caaia litc Traprtr (ClT)

Crca Prgram? Yes or No # ___________


1. Compartments gated. ___________ / 1





Tta r Cr Critria 2: ___________ / 4

fr wi, ach th r critria i wrth 1 pit ach, r a tta 4 pit r thi cr critria.








_______________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________



Tta m t gi aig: _______________

Pat gi aig withi:60 minutes of arrival = Full 4 points




≥ 120 minutes (without reason): = 0 out of 4 points

Tta r Cr Critria 3: ___________ / 4

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sWIne ConTInued



64








_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 4: fa







_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________









_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




65


Non-ambulatory animals (tally here): __________

Severely injured animals (tally here): __________

Heat-stressed animals (tally here): ____________

Frostbien animals (tally here): _______________

Farrowing animals (tally here): _______________


Excellent –1% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

Accpta –3% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.




_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 7: Wi Act A /egrgi Act

A wi act a/grgi act i gr r atmac ait air. Willful acts of abuse include, but are

not limited to:



livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment. This excludes use of

a bucket loader, or sled for example, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport; 5) hing or beang an animal; or

6) live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer.



_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




66

swi Traprtati Ait frm - fia scrig




13

Cr Critria 2

Set up, loading andalignment of trailer,compartments gated

(# of trucks x 4 points divided by # oftrucks)


and unloading

(# of trucks x 4)

Cr Critria 4

Falls

(Total # of falls)





Cr Critria 7


(Yes or No)

nt:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Pa a mrica cr critria? y r n

nt:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________





67

scar Itm rm swi Ait





5. Trucks follow plant bedding requirement or industry best pracce. Yes or No

6. Winter side slats or plugs are in place at recommended levels* Yes or No

*See discussion in AMI Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines, page 6


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________



Total unload me: _____________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________






________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


Comment on the atude and behavior of the people unloading the livestock here. As an example, their temperament

may be correlated to the number of slips and falls:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon seCondARy ITeMs: sWIne AudIT ConTInued



68







________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________





If yes, tally the number of animals here: _______________ ________

4. Number of ambulatory disabled animals (tally here): _______________

Comment on the number of dead or emaciated animals or animals with poor udder condions on the trailer: ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon seCondARy ITeMs: sWIne AudIT ConTInued



69

TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sHeeP

Date: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

nam a aig cmpa: ______________________________________________________________________

Pat ca: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Plant contact: ___________________________________________________________________________________

nmr trc ait: _________________________________________________________________________

Tmpratr/wathr ci: ___________________________________________________________________





4. Emergency plans in place for animals in transit. _________ / 1

5. Wrien policy for immobile and fagued animals and tools available for handling. _________ / 1






10. Non-slip ooring. _________ / 1




Tta r Cr Critria 1: __________ / 13





CoMMenTs foR CoRe CRITeRIA 1_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sHeeP



70

Score each truck using the following audit score sheet for Core Criteria 2 – 7. You will need to make a copy of the

remaining pages for each truck. At the end of the audit, the points for each load will be added together to obtain the

nal score for each of the core criteria.



shp Tp (circle all that apply): Fed Lambs Cull Ewes Mature Rams


1. Compartments gated. ___________ / 1





Tta r Cr Critria 2: ___________ / 4

Iiia trc cr wi arag tgthr. At at tw trc mt cr.

s a crig rm r caca.






_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________



Tta m t gi aig: _______________

Pat gi aig withi:

60 minutes of arrival = Full 4 points




≥ 120 minutes (without reason): = 0 out of 4 points

Tta r Cr Critria 3: ___________ / 4

CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon AudIT foRM: sHeeP ConTInued



71






_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 4: fa







_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________









_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




72


Non-ambulatory animals (tally here): _____________

Severely injured animals (tally here): _____________

Heat-stressed animals (tally here): _______________

Lambing (tally here): __________________________


Excellent – 1% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.

Accpta – 2% or less compromised animals on the trailer at arrival.




______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Cr Critria 7: Wi Act A /egrgi Act

A wi act a/grgi act i gr r atmac ait air. Willful acts of abuse include, but are not

limited to:



livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment. This excludes use of

a bucket loader, or sled for example, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport; 5) hing or beang an animal; or6) live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer. In sheep operaons, liing an animal by the wool or throwing a

sheep also is an act of abuse.



_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________




73

shp Traprtati Ait frm - fia scrig




13

Cr Critria 2

Set up, loading andalignment of trailer,compartments gated.

(# of trucks x 4 pointsdivided by # of trucks)


and unloading

(# of trucks x 4)

Cr Critria 4

Falls

(Total # of falls)





Cr Critria 7


(Yes or No)

nt:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Passed all numerically scored criteria? Yes or No

nt:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________





74

scar Itm rm shp Ait





5. Winter side slats or plugs are in place at recommended levels. Yes or No


_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________



Total unload me: _____________________________


________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________






________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


Comments on the atude and behavior of those unloading the livestock here. As an example, their temperament may

be correlated to the number of slips and falls:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




75







________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________





If yes, tally the number of animals here: _______________________

4. Number of ambulatory disabled animals (tally here): _______________

Comment on the number of dead or emaciated animals or animals with poor udder condions on the trailer:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________


CHAPTeR 5 | TRAnsPoRTATIon seCondARy ITeMs: sHeeP AudIT ConTInued



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CATTle And CAlves slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM

Date: ______________________________________ Time: ____________________________________________

Plant: ______________________________________ Auditor: __________________________________________

Wathr: ___________________________________ li sp: ________________________________________

str Tp: _______________________________ Operator: _________________________________________Pat Ctact nam: _________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________ etaihmt n.: _________________________________

CoRe CRITeRIA 1: effeCTIve sTunnInG — Ctia o

Score 100 cale in plants with line speeds greater than 100 cale per hour. Fiy cale should be audited in slower

plants processing 50 to 99 head of cale or calves per hour. In plants that process less than 50 per hour, score one

hour of producon. Ninety-ve percent accuracy is required for a passing score. If audit is conducted in a religious

slaughter facility, skip to Core Criteria 2.

It can be helpful to note observaons about missed stuns using the following guide:

X = stunned correctly

G = stunning failed due to apparent lack of maintenance

A = missed stun due to poor aim

Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Stun Ecacy Percent ___________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | CATTle And CAlves slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM



77

CoRe CRITeRIA 2: bleed RAIl InsensIbIlITy — Ctia a Rigi

Any sensible animal on the bleed rail constutes an automac audit failure. Score the same number of animals for

stunning scoring. It is CRITICAL that animals showing signs of a return to sensibility be re-stunned immediately. There

is “zero tolerance” for beginning any procedures like skinning the head or leg removal on any animal that shows signs

of a return to sensibility. However, it is important to complete the audit and note observaons about insensibility

using the following guide:

X = completely insensible; no signs of return to sensibility

E = eyes moved when touched

BL = blinking

RB = rhythmic breathing

VO = vocalizaon

RR = righng reex/animal aempts to li head

ST = s curled tongue (this must occur with another one of the criteria above in order to fail this criteria)

nt ig iiit r aima mr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent Insensible _____________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | CATTle And CAlves slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM ConTInued



78

CoRe CRITeRIA 3: AnIMAls fAllInG doWn — Ctia a Rigi

3A: I ar a ig th traprta ait th am a, ma trar r cr hr. Count the

number of cale that slip or fall during unloading. Falling is a core criteria slipping is a secondary criteria. In large

plants where mulple vehicles are connuously unloaded, 100 cale from three dierent vehicles are scored. For all

species, an equal number of animals from each deck should be scored. Vehicles should be scored in the order of arrival

at the unloading ramp. In small plants where vehicles are not connuously unloaded, a single vehicle should be scored.

If no vehicle arrives, the score sheet is marked “unloading not observed.” One percent or fewer cale should fall.

X = no slipping or falling F = fell S = slipped

Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent falling ________________ For recording as a secondary: Percent slipping ______________________

Note where falling occurred: _______________________________________________________________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




79

3B: Count the number of cale that 1) slip and 2) fall during handling in any of the following locaons: crowd pen,

single le chute, barns, alleys or stunning box. Falling is a core criteria and slipping is a secondary criteria. A slip

is recorded when a knee or hock touches the oor. In cale stun boxes and the single le chute, a slip should be

recorded if the animal becomes agitated due to mulple short slips. A fall is recorded if the body touches the oor.

One percent or fewer falls is required for a passing score.


1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent falling ________________ For recording as a secondary audit item: Percent slipping _________

Note where falling occurred:

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




80

CoRe CRITeRIA 4: voCAlIZATIon — Ctia a Rigi

Monitor the number of cale that vocalize in the crowd pen, lead-up chute stunning box or restrainer. Vocalizing

animals in the crowd-pen and lead up chute are scored only during acve handling. All vocalizaons in the stun

box or restrainer are counted. Score an animal as a vocalizer if it makes any audible vocalizaon. Three percent or

less of cale should moo or bellow. In Kosher or Halal operaons or any operaon using a head holder, up to ve

percent vocalizaon is acceptable for a passing score. It is helpful to note the possible cause of vocalizaon using

the codes below:

X = non-vocalizer P = prod

S = stun F = fell or slipped

U = unknown cause R = restrainer

M = missed stuns SE = sharp edges

UN = unprovoked

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent vocalizing: _____________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




81

CoRe CRITeRIA 5: eleCTRIC PRod use — Ctia a Rigi

Monitor the percentage of 100 cale prodded with an electric prod at the restrainer entrance. Twenty-ve percent

or fewer cale should be prodded for passing score. If mulple employees use prods, score 100 animals passing by

each employee. Add the percentages together to determine nal score. Note whether or not a prod was used for each

animal and the apparent reason for prod use:

X = moved quietly without an electric prod

P = electric prod used without apparent reason

B = electric prodded in response to balking

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent prodded _________ Percent balking ________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




82

CoRe CRITeRIA 6: WIllful ACTs of Abuse/eGReGIous ACTs — Ctia a Rigi

A wi act a/grgi act i gr r atmac ait air. Willful acts of abuse include, but are

not limited to:



livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment. This excludes, forexample, use of a bucket loader or sled, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport.; 5) hing or beang an animal;

or 6) live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer.

Were any willful acts of abuse observed?

Yes _____ No ______

If yes, detail incident(s) below:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CoRe CRITeRIA 7: ACCess To WATeR — Ctia a Rigi

Observe access to water. Do animals in all holding pens held for 30 minutes or longer have access to cleandrinking water?

Yes _____ No ______

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




83

fia scrig – Catt a Ca Ait

Cr Critria Paig scr Acta scr

Cr Critria 1: ec stig 95% or greater accuracy ___________

Cr Critria 2: b Rai Iiiit 100% insensible ___________

Cr Critria 3: fa

3A: Truck Unload 1% or fewer falls ___________

3B: In Plant 1% or fewer falls ___________

Cr Critria 4: vcaiza 3% or less ___________

5% or less with head-holder/ritual ___________

Cr Critria 5: Pr u 25% or less prodded ___________

Cr Critria 6: Wi Act A No willful acts of abuse ___________

Cr Critria 7: Acc t Watr Yes – water provided ___________

Pat pa a cr critria? Yes ______ No _______





84

scar Ait Itm: Catt a Ca

These items may be helpful in gathering general informaon about a facility. However, because they involve a high

degree of subjecvity and because they are almost impossible to score objecvely, they should not be used in

determining whether a facility passes or fails an audit.

1. Does the facility have a documented training program for its employees or use an outside training program to teach

the principles of good animal handling?

Yes __________ n _________

2. Does the facility have a protocol that is wrien or widely understood for handling non-ambulatory animals?

Yes __________ n _________

3. Are facility personnel trained in handling non-ambulatory animals?

Yes __________ n _________

4. Do employees inspect the facility weekly and document for repair any damage or sharp protrusions that may injure

animals?

Yes __________ n _________

5. Does the facility provide special training to stunner operators to ensure proper equipment use and

stunning ecacy?

Yes __________ n _________

6. Does the facility have a protocol for stunning equipment maintenance?

Yes __________ n _________

7. Does the facility train its personnel and have a wrien procedure or protocol about how to handle a sensible animal

on the bleed rail?

Yes __________ n _________

8. Is non-slip ooring provided throughout the facility?

Yes _________ n _________ Slipping score (3% or less):

9. Are non-electrical devices the primary tool used to move livestock?

Yes __________ n _________

10. Do crowd pens generally appear to be less than 75 percent full?

Yes __________ n _________




85

11. If mounng behaviors were observed, are animals that chronically mount removed from the pen?

Yes _________ n _________ nA __________

12. Does the company perform internal audits at least weekly?

Yes __________ n _________

13. Does the company have an emergency management plan for livestock on le?

Yes __________ n _________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy AudIT ITeMs: CATTle And CAlves

14. The percentage of animals that slipped: _________________

Percentage in stunning area: _________________

Percentage during truck unloading: _________________

fia scrig

Pat pa a cr critria? Yes ____________ n ______________

Wr a act a r? Pat pa a car critria: y ___________ n _________

If no on secondary, include notes related to secondary audit items:

________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy ITeMs: CATTle And CAlves slAuGHTeR AudIT ConTInued



86

PIG slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM

Date: ______________________________________ Time: ____________________________________________

Plant: ______________________________________ Auditor: __________________________________________

Wathr: ___________________________________ li sp: ________________________________________

str Tp: _______________________________ Operator: _________________________________________Pat Ctact nam: _________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________ etaihmt n.: _________________________________

CoRe CRITeRIA 1: sTunnInG

ec ectrica stig – Pig

Electrodes must be applied properly to pigs to achieve eecve stunning. Score 100 pigs in plants with line speeds

greater than 100 per hour. Fiy pigs should be audited in slower plants that process 50 to 99 pigs per hour. In plants

that process less than 50 per hour, score one hour of producon. A score of 99 percent accurate placement ofstunning electrodes is required for passing score.

The following coding should be used:

X = electrode placed correctly W = wrong placement

Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent correct placement: ______________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | PIG slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM



87

Amperage

Is the stunner set at a minimum of 1.25 amps for market weight pigs and two amps for sows?

Yes ___________ No __________ Volts ___________ Stun Time in Sec. ____________ Amps __________

Ht WaigScore 100 pigs in the restrainer. Measure the percentage that vocalize due to applicaon of fully energized electrodes.

No more than one percent of animals may vocalize due to hot wanding.

Aima nmr:

_______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent hot wanded: ___________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | PIG slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM ConTInued



88

CoRe CRITeRIA foR Co2 sysTeMs: oveRloAdInG of GondolAs*

Score 50 gondolas in large plants that process 500 or more pigs per CO2 machine per hour to determine the

percentage of gondolas (elevator boxes) that are overloaded. In small plants score 25 gondolas. A gondola or elevator

is to be scored as overloaded if there is not sucient space for the animals to stand or lie down without being on top

of each other. No more than four percent of gondolas may be overloaded for a passing score.

Score on a per gondola basis:

Ga nmr:

1______________ 11 ____________ 21 ______________ 31 ______________ 41 _____________

2 ______________ 12 ____________ 22 ______________ 32 ______________ 42 _____________

3 ______________ 13 ____________ 23 ______________ 3 ______________ 43 _____________

4 ______________ 14 ____________ 24 ______________ 34 ______________ 44 _____________

5______________ 15 ____________ 25 ______________ 35 ______________ 46 _____________

7______________ 17 ____________ 27 ______________ 37 ______________ 47 _____________

8 ______________ 18 ____________ 28 ______________ 38 ______________ 48 _____________

9______________ 19 ____________ 29 ______________ 39 ______________ 49 _____________

10_____________ 20 ____________ 30 ______________ 40 ______________ 50 _____________

_______________

Percent overloaded: ____________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

* For gas systems where the animals ride head to tail on a connuous conveyor that does not have separate

animal compartments, do not use this scoring system. Omit this score and score the percentage of animals

prodded with an electric prod.




89

CoRe CRITeRIA 2: InsensIbIlITy on THe bleed RAIl

Any sensible animal on the bleed rail constutes an automac audit failure. Score the same number of animals for

stunning scoring. It is CRITICAL that animals showing signs of a return to sensibility be restunned immediately. There is

“zero tolerance” for beginning any procedures like skinning the head or leg removal on any animal that shows signs of

a return to sensibility. However, it is important to complete the audit and note observaons about insensibility using

the following guide:


BL = blinking – do not count a vibrang eye as a blink; only natural blinks like those that might be observed

in the yards should be documented


VO = vocalizaon no maer how small

RR = righng reex/animal aempts to li head while hanging on the rail

Note signs of sensibility observed by animal number:


1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____


nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




90

CoRe CRITeRIA 3: AnIMAls fAllInG doWn

3A: I ar a ig th traprta ait th am a, ma trar r cr hr.

Count the number of pigs that slip or fall during unloading. Falling is a core criteria and slipping is a secondary criteria.

In plants where a large truck holds more than 100 animals, a minimum of two vehicles should be observed.

For all species, an equal number of animals from each deck should be scored.

Vehicles should be scored in the order of arrival at the unloading ramp. In small plants where vehicles are not

connuously unloaded, a single vehicle should be scored. If no vehicle arrives, the score sheet is marked

“unloading not observed.”

One percent or fewer pigs should fall.


Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____



nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




91

3B: Count the number of pigs that 1) slip and 2) fall during handling in the crowd pen, single le chute, barns, alleys or

stunning box. One percent or fewer pigs may fall for a passing score. A fall is recorded if the body touches the oor.

Even slight slipping should be noted. If ooring results in slight slipping for most animals, this can result in fear or

agitaon and should be corrected. Falling is a core criteria and slipping is a secondary criteria.


1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent falling ________________ For recording as a secondary audit item: Percent slipping _________

Note where falling occurred:

nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




92

CoRe CRITeRIA 4: PIG voCAlIZATIon duRInG eleCTRIC oR CAPTIve bolT sTunnInG

vcaiza — ectric stig r Co2 stm With a sig fi Cr Rtrair

Monitor the number of pigs that squeal in the restrainer. Score only squeals determined to be provoked by humans or

equipment. Pigs that are provoked to squeal should not exceed 5%. It is helpful to note the possible cause of squealsusing the codes below. Do not count hot wanding in this secon because it is a stunning measurement: For group

CO2 Stunning Systems, vocalizaon is a secondary item because it is dicult to count the number of pigs that are

vocalizing.

X = non-vocalizer P = prod S = stun F = fell or slipped O = other R = Restrainer

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent vocalizing: ___________

Rm vcaiza – A stig stm — foR InTeRnAl AudITs only:

Count the number of stunning cycles where squealing is heard. Count 100 stunning cycles. Note: there is a highdegree of variability due to room acouscs and human factors. This criterion cannot be compared across plants, but is

eecve in monitoring internal performance. Fewer than 50 percent of the stunning cycles should have squealing.

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent vocalizing: ___________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




93

CoRe CRITeRIA 5: eleCTRIC PRod use

ectric r Co2 stig stm Whr Pig etr i sig fi

Monitor the percentage of 100 pigs prodded with an electric prod at the restrainer entrance. Twenty-ve percent

or less of pigs may be prodded for a passing score. Note whether or not a prod was used for each animal and the

apparent reason for prod use. If mulple employees use prods, score 100 animals passing by each employee. Add the

percentages together to come up with a nal score:




1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent prod use______________ Percent balking ____________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




94

Co2 stm whr pig tr a Co2 chamr i grp a ctric tig tmwhr pig ar t th r i grp.

Monitor the percentage of 100 pigs prodded with an electric prod when animals are being moved into a gondola

or when electric stunning occurs on the oor in a group seng. Five percent or less of pigs may be prodded for a

passing score. Note whether or not a prod was used for each animal and the apparent reason for prod use. If mulpleemployees use prods, score 100 animals passing by each employee. Add the percentages together to

come up with a nal score:




1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent prod use ______________ Percent balking ____________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




95

CoRe CRITeRIA 6: WIllful ACTs of Abuse/eGReGIous ACTs


limited to:



livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment. This excludes use ofa bucket loader, or sled for example, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport; 5) hing or beang an animal; or

6) live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer.



________________________________________________________________________________________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CoRe CRITeRIA 7: ACCess To WATeR

Observe access to water. Do animals in all holding pens held for a period of 30 minutes or longer have access to clean

drinking water?

Yes __________ n _________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




96

fia scrig – Pig Ait


Cr Critria 1: ec stig 1% or less inaccurate wand ___________

placement and

1% or less hot wanded ___________

or

4% or less overloaded gondolas ___________


Cr Critria 3: fa



Cr Critria 4: vcaiza* 5% or less ___________

Cr Critria 5: Pr u 25% or less (single le) ___________

5% or less (group system) ___________





*Do not count when CO2 systems are in use




97

scar Ait Itm: Pig

These items may be helpful in gathering general informaon about a facility. However, because they involve a high

degree of subjecvity and because they are almost impossible to score objecvely, they should not be used in

determining whether a facility passes or fails an audit.

1. Does the facility have a documented training program for its employees or use an outside training program to

teach the principles of good animal handling?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

4. Do employees inspect the facility weekly and document for repair any damage or sharp protrusions

that may injure animals?

Yes __________ n _________

5. Does the facility provide special training to stunner operators to ensure proper equipment use and

stunning ecacy?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

7. Does the facility train its personnel and have a wrien procedure or protocol about how to handle a sensible

animal on the bleed rail?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes _________ n _________ Slipping score (3% or less): _________


Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy ITeMs: PIG slAuGHTeR AudIT ConTInued



98


Yes _________ n _________ nA __________


Yes __________ n _________

13. The percentage of animals that slipped:

Percentage in stunning area: _________________ Percentage during truck unloading: ______________

fia scrig


Wr a act a r? Pat pa a car critria: y ___________ n _________

I car, ic t rat t car ait itm:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




99

sHeeP slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM

Date: ______________________________________ Time: ____________________________________________

Plant: ______________________________________ Auditor: __________________________________________

Wathr: ___________________________________ li sp: ________________________________________

str Tp: _______________________________ Operator: _________________________________________

Pat Ctact nam: _________________________ Phone: ___________________________________________

Email: _____________________________________ etaihmt n.: _________________________________

Note: Sheep naturally vocalize. Therefore vocalizaon scoring is omied as a criterion for this audit.

Hot wanding also is omied as a criterion.

CoRe CRITeRIA 1: effeCTIve sTunnInG — Ctia o

Cap bt stig

Ninety-ve percent or more sheep must be stunned eecvely with a single shot.

It can be helpful to note observaons about missed stuns using the following guide:

X = stunned correctly

G = stunning failed due to apparent lack of maintenance

A = missed stun due to poor aim

Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent of sheep stunned eecvely with a single shot:

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | sHeeP slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM



100

ectric stig — prpr appica ctr t hp

Electrodes must be applied properly to sheep to achieve eecve stunning. Score 100 sheep. A score of 99 percent

accurate placement of stunning electrodes is required for passing score. The following coding should be used:

X = electrode placed correctly W = wrong placement

Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent correct placement: ______________

Is the stunner set at a minimum of 1 amp? Yes _____________ n ____________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | sHeeP slAuGHTeR AudIT foRM ConTInued



101

CoRe CRITeRIA 2: bleed RAIl InsensIbIlITy — Ctia a Rigi

Any sensible animal on the bleed rail constutes and automac audit failure. It is CRITICAL that animals showing

signs of a return to sensibility be restunned immediately. There is “zero tolerance” for beginning any procedures like

skinning the head or leg removal on any animal that shows signs of a return to sensibility. However, it is important to

complete the audit and note observaons about insensibility using the following guide:


BL = blinking – do not count a vibrang eye as a blink; only natural blinks like those

that might be observed in the yards should be documented


VO = vocalizaon no maer how small

RR = righng reex/animal aempts to li head while hanging on the rail


1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____


nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




102

CoRe CRITeRIA 3: eleCTRIC PRod use — Ctia a Rigi

Monitor the percentage of 100 sheep prodded with an electric prod. Since OIE (2008) guidelines state the electric

prods should not be used on sheep, electrical prod use must be conned to a single electric prod at the restrainer

entrance. The electric prod should only be used on stubborn, large sheep that are too big to be pushed by a person

into the restrainer. Electric prod use should be 5% or less and only at the restrainer entrance.




Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____

Percent prod use ______________ Percent balking ____________

nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




103

CoRe CRITeRIA 4: AnIMAls fAllInG doWn — Ctia a Rigi

3A: Count the number of sheep that 1) slip and 2) fall during handling in the crowd pen, single le chute, barns, alleys

or stunning box. Falling is a core criteria and slipping is a secondary criteria. One percent or fewer sheep may fall. A fall

is recorded if the body touches the oor. Even slight slipping should be noted.


Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____



nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




104

3b: I ar a ig th traprta ait th am a, ma trar r cr hr. Count the

number of sheep that slip or fall during unloading. In plants where a large truck holds more than 100 animals, a

minimum of two vehicles should be observed. For all species, an equal number of animals from each deck should be

scored. Vehicles should be scored in the order of arrival at the unloading ramp. In small plants where vehicles are not

connuously unloaded, a single vehicle should be scored. If no vehicle arrives, the score sheet is marked “unloading

not observed.” One percent or fewer may fall.


Aima nmr:

1______ 11 _____ 21 ______ 31 ______ 41 ____ 51 ____ 61 _____ 71 _____ 81 _____ 91 ______

2 ______ 12 _____ 22 ______ 32 _____ 42 ____ 52 ____ 62 _____ 72 _____ 82 _____ 92 ______

3 ______ 13 _____ 23 ______ 33 _____ 43 ____ 53 ____ 63 _____ 73 _____ 83 _____ 93 ______

4 ______ 14 _____ 24 ______ 34 _____ 44 ____ 54 ____ 64 _____ 74 _____ 84 _____ 94 ______

5______ 15 _____ 25 ______ 35 _____ 45 ____ 55 ____ 65 _____ 75 _____ 85 _____ 95 ______

6______ 16 _____ 26 ______ 36 _____ 46 ____ 56 ____ 66 _____ 76 _____ 86 _____ 96 ______

7______ 17 _____ 27 ______ 37 ______ 47 ____ 57 ____ 67 _____ 77 _____ 87 _____ 97 ______

8 ______ 18 _____ 28 ______ 38 _____ 48 ____ 58 ____ 68 _____ 78 _____ 88 _____ 98 ______

9______ 19 _____ 29 ______ 39 _____ 49 ____ 59 ____ 69 _____ 79 _____ 89 _____ 99 ______

10_____ 20 _____ 30 ______ 40 _____ 50 ____ 60 ____ 70 _____ 80 _____ 90 _____ 100 _____



nt:

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________




105

CoRe CRITeRIA 6: WIllful ACTs of Abuse/eGReGIous ACTs — Ctia a Rigi


limited to:



livestock on top of one another either manually or with direct contact with motorized equipment. This excludes use ofa bucket loader, or sled for example, to load a non-ambulatory animal for transport; 5) hing or beang an animal; 6)

live animals frozen to the oor or sides of the trailer; or 7) liing sheep by the wool.



________________________________________________________________________________________________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CoRe CRITeRIA 7: ACCess To WATeR — Ctia a Rigi

Observe access to water. Do animals in all holding pens held for a period of 30 minutes or longer have access to clean

drinking water?

Yes __________ n _________

nt:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________




106

fia scrig – shp Ait


Cr Critria 1: ec stig 95% or greater accuracy —

capve bolt ___________

99% or greater accurate placement

electric ___________


Cr Critria 3: fa



Cr Critria 4: Pr u 5% or less ___________








107

scar Ait Itm: shp

These items may be helpful in gathering general informaon about a facility. However, because they involve

a high degree of subjecvity and because they are almost impossible to score objecvely, they should not

be used in determining whether a facility passes or fails an audit.

1. Does the facility have a documented training program for its employees or use an outside training

program to teach the principles of good animal handling?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

4. Do employees inspect the facility weekly and document for repair any damage or sharp protrusions

that may injure animals?

Yes __________ n _________

5. Does the facility provide special training to stunner operators to ensure proper equipment use

and stunning ecacy?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

7. Does the facility train its personnel and have a wrien procedure or protocol about how to handle a sensible

animal on the bleed rail?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes _________ n _________ Slipping score (3% or less):


Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy ITeMs: sHeeP slAuGHTeR AudIT



108


Yes _________ n _________ nA __________

12. Does the company perform internal audits at least weekly?

Yes __________ n _________


Yes __________ n _________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy AudIT ITeMs: CATTle And CAlves

14. The percentage of animals that slipped: _________________

Percentage in stunning area: _________________

Percentage during truck unloading: _________________

fia scrig


Were any acts of abuse observed? Plant passed all secondary criteria: Yes ___________ n _________

I car, ic t rat t car ait itm:

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

CHAPTeR 5 | seCondARy ITeMs: sHeeP slAuGHTeR AudIT ConTInued



109

CHAPTeR 6: TRoublesHooTInG GuIde

fiig ditracti That Hir ea Mmt

Problem: Animal reuses to move through an alley, chute or race.

Possible Causes:

I animals reuse to move through an alley, chute or race, there may be a very simple solution. Once the areais clear, step into the race to see what distractions may be hindering movement. Any one o these items onthe ollowing list may cause animals to stop moving or back up and prevent a properly designed acility romworking efficiently. In some acilities, two or three different distractions must be removed beore animals willmove easily. Ofen, identiying the problem requires trial and error.

Look or:

• Sparkling reflections on puddles that can be eliminated by moving a ceiling lamp.

• Reflections on smooth metal that can be minimized through lighting changes.

• Chains that jiggle and can be astened.

• Metal clanging or banging that can be secured. Rubber stops can be used on gates, or example, toprevent clanging.

• High pitched noises and other loud or reverberating noises that can be silenced.

• Air hissing , which can be silenced with mufflers or piped outside.

• Air drafs blowing toward approaching animals, which can be redirected away rom them.

• Clothing hung on the ence that can be removed.

• Moving piece o plastic that can be secured or removed.

• Fan blade movement. Install a shield to block the animals’ view.

• Seeing people moving up ahead. Install a shield so approaching animals cannot see them.

• Small object on the floor such as a coffee cup, hose or paper.

• Changes in flooring and texture, which can be made uniorm.

• Drain grate on the floor, which can be moved to another location outside races.

• Sudden changes in the color o equipment or flooring. Colors with high contrast like yellow are the worst.Use o single colors on floors and walls can acilitate movement.

• Race entrance is too dark . Animals preer to move rom a darker place to a brighter place.

• Bright light such as blinding sun. Animals will move rom a darker place to a brighter place, butthey will not move toward blinding light. Examples o blinding light are looking into the sun or abare light bulb.

• One-way and back-up gates. Install them two to three body lengths away rom the crowd pen. Equip theone-way gate near the crowd pen with a remote controlled rope so that they can be held open when thesingle file race is filled. Many acilities have too many backup gates. ry tying them open.

CHAPTeR 6 | TRoublesHooTInG GuIde



110

Rig Prm i Ctr Trac Cr Rtrair stm a v btRtrair stm r Catt, Pig, a shp

Problem: Animal stops at entrance and reuses to enter.

Possible Causes:

1. Hold-down rack is too low and the animal bumps its shoulder as it enters. Raise hold-down so thatthere is approximately 4 in. (10 cm) o clearance or the tallest animal. Te hold down should be solid toblock vision.

2. Entrance is too dark – install a light that illuminates the entrance. Te light must not shine in anapproaching animal’s eyes.

3. Slick Floor – Animals panic when they slip. Weld rods to floor to provide a non-slip floor. Te entranceramp into the restrainer must be non-slip.

4. Entrance ramp missing – Reinstall entrance ramp. See diagrams on www.grandin.com. Forcing ananimal to jump into a restrainer rightens it.

5. Leg spreader is too wide and it bumps the inside o the animals’ legs. Tis problem only occurs in centertrack restrainers. See diagrams on www.grandin.com.

6. No False Floor - on all types o restrainers, animals will be araid to enter i they see a steep drop off(visual cliff) below the restrainer. Install a solid alse floor approximately six inches (15 cm) below the eeto the largest animal. See diagrams on www.grandin.com.

7. No belly rails – on center track restrainers belly rails keep the animal centered over the leg spreader bar.

See diagrams on www.grandin.com.

8. Distractions in plant – install a curtain at the exit end o the restrainer. Look through the Restrainerand see i you can see distractions such as moving conveyor, a yellow apron or sparkling reflections on amoving piece o equipment.

9. Broken sharp edges in entrance – repair or replace entrance parts. Plant should do pre-operations checkdaily on restrainers to ensure entrance is in good repair.

I an animal is walking into the restrainer by itsel, do not poke it with an electric prod. Center track systemsrequire less prodding to induce cattle to enter it. Workers need to break the “automatic prod reflex” habit.

CHAPTeR 6 | TRoublesHooTInG GuIde ConTInued



111

Rig Prm i Ctr Trac Cr Rtrair stm av bt Rtrair stm r Catt, Pig a shp

Problem: Animals struggle in the restrainer

Causes:

1. V conveyor sides run at different speeds. Both sides must run at the same speed. o test this, mark eachside with tape or a crayon. Afer three revolutions the marks should be no more than 4” different or thewidth o one slat.

2. Hold down too short. On all types o restrainers, the animal must be completely restrained and riding onthe conveyor with its eet off the entrance ramp BEFORE its head emerges rom under the hold down. Teprinciple is blocking vision until the animal is ully restrained.

3. Broken slats and other parts. Sharp edges that stick into animals will cause struggling. On the center

track restrainer, the metal guides along the conveyor must not be bent. Replace broken or bent slats. Slatsmust line up and provide a smooth continuous surace.

4. Hold-down too high. Tis is most likely to be a problem when small animals are handled. Install a rubbercurtain made rom conveyor belting on the discharge end o the hold down rack to block the vision osmaller animals.

5. Adjustable sides not centered. Struggling is more likely to occur i the adjustable sides o the center trackconveyor push the animal to one side and make it eel off balance. Adjustable sides should be at the samesetting on both sides.

Rig ectrica stig Prm

Problem: Animal blinks within five seconds afer stunning

Possible Causes:

1. Electrode is placed in the wrong position and the electrical current ails to go through the brain. Teanimal blinks because the stunner ailed to induce a grand mal epileptic seizure that is required to induceinstant insensibility.

2. Te electrical amperage may be too low. Even though the electrode is in the correct position, there is not

enough current passing through the brain to induce a grand mal epileptic seizure. Te amperage and/or voltage should be checked and may need to be increased.

3. High electric resistance o the animal. Tis is especially a problem in old sows or dehydrated animals.

4. Electrode contact area is too small or the electrodes are dirty. Increase surace area o electrode orclean them.

5. Te animal is too dry, which results in high electrical resistance. Tis is most likely to be a problem incattle or sheep and continuous wetting during the stun may be required in these two species.




112

Problem: Te initial stun appears to be done correctly but the animal blinks or shows other signs o return tosensibility 30 to 90 seconds afer stunning.

Possible Causes:

1. Te stunning-to-bleed interval is too long. Tis is especially a problem with head only reversible

stunning. Te solution is to shorten the interval between stunning and bleeding.

2. Poor bleeding i an animal shows a sign o return to sensibility afer it has been bled. Tis can occur in

cardiac arrested animals because there are always a ew animals in which the heart is not stopped. raining o

the person doing the bleeding will usually solve this problem.

3. Poor initial contact results in the animal receiving a stunning time that is too short. A common cause is

a atigued operator.

4. Interrupted contact – Te stunning wand or tongs may bounce or slide during the stun and result in a

stunning time that is too short. Poor design o the stunning wand is a likely cause. An other cause can be anoverloaded stunner operator who is stunning more animals than he can easily handle.

5. Placement o the head electrodes in the wrong position on the head. Reposition the electrodes so that the

electrical current will pass through the brain.

Rig Capti bt stig Prm

Possible Reasons or Poor Stunning

1. Stunner has not been maintained. A dirty stunner will lose bolt velocity. High bolt velocity is required oran effective stun.

2. Damp cartridges or a cartridge fired stunner. Cartridges must be kept in a dry place. Cartridges shouldnot be stored long-term in the slaughter room. However, it is acceptable to store cartridges needed or thatday’s production in the slaughter room.

3. An overheated cartridge fired stunner will lose bolt velocity. Rotate cartridge fired stunners toprevent overheating.

4. Worn cylinder bore on a pneumatic stunner. Even when the stunner has been serviced correctly, themachined cylinder bore eventually wears out and the stunner will lose hitting power. At this point the

stunner will have to be replaced. A clean air supply will help prevent cylinder wear.

5. Poor ergonomics o bulky pneumatic stunners. Adding additional handles will aid positioning. When apneumatic stunner is used with a conveyor restrainer, it is ofen easier to position the stunner i it is hungrom the balancer on a 30-degree angle.

6. Stunner operator chases the animal’s head. Te operator should be trained to wait or the animal to stopmoving and then position the stunner. Chasing the head will result in poor stunning.




113

7. Excited animals. Careul quiet handling and driving o animals into the stun box or restrainer willprovide calm animals that are easier to stun correctly.

8. Air pressure too low to power a pneumatic stunner. Use the air pressure setting recommended by themanuacturer. Tis usually requires a dedicated compressor, which powers only the stunner.

9. Slick floor in stunning box causes cattle to become agitated.

10. Poor placement. Stunner is not placing the captive bolt square against the center o the head or notplacing the bolt in the “X” between the base o the horn (poll) and the eye.

Rig Co2 stig Prm

Problem: Stunning Ineffective, animals not completely insensible

Possible Causes:

1. Low CO2 concentration. Increase the gas concentration.

2. Exposure time is too short. Slow down the number o pigs which are moved through the system.

3. Te time between the exit rom the CO2 chamber and bleeding is too long. o prevent recovery rom

the anesthesia, bleed the animals more quickly. Tis is most likely to be a problem in small CO2 machines

that have a short gas exposure time.

4. Poor bleeding technique. I animals show signs o return to sensibility afer bleeding, the person doingthe bleeding may need more training.




114

CHAPTeR 7: WoRkeR sAfeTy TIPs foR AnIMAl HAndleRsAnd sTunneRs

Working with livestock in a plant setting can be challenging and unpredictable. It is essential thatsaety be a priority when handling and stunning animals. Below are a series o saety tips that can

help protect employees.

litc faciit a Trcig

1. I prods are wired into the house current, they must always be wired through a transormer.

2. Man gates and other devices must be installed so people can easily escape rom agitated cattle. Tis isespecially important or areas with solid ences. In concrete ences, toeholds can be ormed in the walls.

3. Be alert around the unloading dock. A truck driver backing in may not be able to see you.

4. Handle cattle quietly. Excited animals are more likely to cause accidents.

ectric stig shp a Pig

1. Te stunner operator’s station must be kept dry.

2. Te operator should wear rubber boots and stand on non-conductive plastic grating.

3. Te restrainer rame and worker walkway structure should be grounded to a perect ground. However,the side o the restrainer that the stunner operator can touch should be covered with heavy insulatingmaterials such as a plastic meat cutting board.

Capti bt stig

1. Cartridge-fired stunners must ALWAYS be uncocked beore they are set down.

2. NEVER, EVER throw a cartridge-fired stunner to another person.

3. Inspect latches on stunning boxes to make sure they latch securely. Beore the next animal is admitted tothe box, check the latch.

4. All guards must be kept in place over exposed pinch points that could be easily touched by employeesduring normal operation o the restrainer system equipment.

5. I a worker has to get inside a restrainer conveyor system to unjam it, lock it out first to preventsomebody else rom turning it on.

CHAPTeR 7 | WoRkeR sAfeTy TIPs foR AnIMAl HAndleRs And sTunneRs



115

6. Cartridge-fired stunners must always be kept unloaded when they are carried away rom thestunning area.

7. Good maintenance is essential with pneumatic stunners to prevent excessive recoil, which can strainand injure the operator’s hands, arm or back.

8. Te use o a cartridge gun holder is considered a best practice. Do not lay a gun on the edge o a stun box.

sa litc Haig

1. A single, lone, agitated animal can be very dangerous and may cause injury during handling. Many seriouscattle handling injuries are caused by a single agitated animal.

2. Escaped cattle must never be chased. An animal that is loose on the plant grounds will return to thestockyard i it is lef alone. I an animal gets loose inside the plant, employees should stay quiet whileone designated person either stuns it or eases it out a door.

3. Stay out o the blind spot behind the rear end o large livestock. I they cannot see you, they arelikely to kick you.

4. Install a saety ence consisting o upright posts around the cattle shackling area to prevent cattlerom entering other parts o the plant.

5. Do not try to stop an animal that is running back rom a group as a person may be injured.

Rigi saghtr Practic

Shackling and hoisting unstunned cattle and calves can be very dangerous. It has caused many seriousaccidents. In one plant, replacement o the shackle hoist with a restrainer resulted in a dramatic reduction in

accidents. Shackling and hoisting o live sheep is also hazardous.

CHAPTeR 7 | WoRkeR sAfeTy TIPs foR AnIMAl HAndleRs And sTunneRs ConTInued



116

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various requencies. International Congress o Meat Sci. and ech. 44:1070-1073.

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Blackmore, D.K. and Newhook, J.C. 1983. Te assessment o insensibility in sheep, calves and pigs during slaughter. In: G.Eikelenboom (Ed). Stunning Animals or Slaughter. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. pp. 13-25.

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Cook, C.J. 1992. Stunning Science, a guide to better electrical stunning. Meat Industry Research

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Cook, C.J., Devine, C.E. and Gilbert K.V., et al. 1991. Electroencephalograms and electrocardiograms in young bulls ollowingupper cervical vertebrae to brisket stunning. New Zealand Vet. J. 39:121-125.

Crof, P.S. 1952. Problems with electrical stunning. Vet. Record. 64:255-258.

Dodman, N.H. 1977. Observations on the use o the Wernberg dip-lif carbon dioxide apparatus or pre-slaughter anesthesiapigs. Br. Vet. J. 133:71-80.

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Edwards, L., Engle, E, Correa JA, Paradis MA, Grandin , Anderson DB. 2010. Te relationship between exsanguination

blood lactate concentration and carcass quality in slaughter pigs, Meat Sci. 85:435-445.

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Finnie, J.W., Blumbergs, P.C., Manavis, J., Summersides, G.E. and Davies, R.A. 2000. Evaluation o brain damage rompenetrating and non-penetrating captive bolt using lambs. Aust. Vet. J. 78:775-778.

Forslid, A. 1987. ransient neocortical, hipocampal and amygdaloid EEG silence induced by one-minute inhalation o highconcentration CO2 in the swine. Acta Phys. Scand. 130:1-10.

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Gilbert, K.V., Cook, C.J. and Devine, C.E. 1991. Electrical stunning in cattle and sheep: Electrode placement and effectiveness.Proc. 37th Int. Congress Meat Sci. and ech. Kulmbach, Germany. pp.245-248.

Grandin . 1981. Livestock rucking Guide, Livestock Conservation Institute Madison, Wisconsin.

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Grandin, ., Curtis, S.E., and Widowski, .M. and Turman, J.C. 1986. Electro-immobilization versus mechanical restraint inan avoid-avoid choice test. J. An. Sci. 62:146-1480.

Grandin, . 1988. Behavior o slaughter plant and auction employees towards animals. Anthrozoo. 1:205-213.

Grandin, . 1988. Possible genetic effect on pig’s reaction to CO2 stunning. Proc. Intl. Congress o Meat Sci. and ech.Brisbane, Australia. 34:96-97.

Grandin, . 1991a. Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines or Meat Packers, Washington, D.C., American Meat Institute.

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Canada, Te Canadian Federation o Humane Societies and the Canadian Meat Council.

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Ithaca, NY. pp. 208-223.

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Table 5-2. Recommended minimum area allowances in transportation accommodations forgroups of animals used in agricultural research and teaching1

Species

Average BW

Area per animal

(kg) (lb) (m2) (ft2)

Cattle (calves) 91 200 0.32 3.5136 300 0.46 4.8182 400 0.57 6.4273 600 0.80 8.5

Horned Hornless

(m2) (ft2) (m2) (ft2)

Cattle (mature fed cowsand steers 364 800 1.0 10.9 0.97 10.4

455 1,000 1.2 12.8 1.1 12.0545 1,200 1.4 15.3 1.4 14.5636 1,400 1.8 19.0 1.7 18.0

Small pigs 4.54 10 0.060 0.709.07 20 0.084 0.90

13.60 30 0.093 1.0022.70 50 0.139 1.5027.20 60 0.158 1.7031.20 70 0.167 1.8036.30 80 0.177 1.9040.80 90 0.195 2.10

Winter Summer

Market swine and sows 45 100 0.22 2.4 0.30 3.091 200 0.32 3.5 0.37 4.0

114 250 0.40 4.3 0.46 5.0136 300 0.46 5.0 0.55 6.0182 400 0.61 6.6 0.65 7.0

Shorn Full fleece

Sheep 27 60 0.20 2.1 0.21 2.236 80 0.23 2.5 0.24 2.645 100 0.26 2.8 0.27 3.055 120 0.30 3.2 0.31 3.4

Dimensions Area

(m) (ft) (m2) (ft2)

Loose horses 250 to 500 550 to 1100 0.7 × 2.5 2.3 × 8.2 1.75 18.8

Foals <6 mo 1.0 × 1.4 3.3 × 4.6 1.4 15.2Young horses 6–24 mo 0.76 × 2.0 2.5 × 6.6 1.2 16.5 1.2 × 2.0 3.9 × 6.6 2.4 25.8

1Adapted from data of Grandin (1981, 2007c); Cregier (1982); Whiting and Brandt (2002); Whiting (1999); ILARTransportation Guide (2006); and National Pork Board (2008) Trucker Quality Assurance Handbook .

HANDLING AND TRANSPORT

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