Applied Research Note: Evaluation of head removal following euthanasia by cervical dislocation on latency insensibility and death on broiler welfare

Abstract

SUMMARY: The impact of head removal during cervical dislocation on bird welfare is currently unknown. In this study, broilers (n = 180; 35, 44, and 50 d of age) were assigned either euthanasia by cervical dislocation with a head removal (HR) or cervical dislocation only (CDO) treatment to evaluate their behavioral and reflexive response. The HR treatment birds were decapitated in the space between the skull and spine created by the luxation to simulate accidental manual head removal. Latency to absence of the nictitating membrane reflex, as indicator of insensibility, and cessation of movement, as indicator of death, were measured. No differences were found between the 2 treatments for latency to nictitating membrane reflex or cessation of movement for treatment, sex, or treatment and sex. The latency to absence of nictitating membrane was 7 s for both the HR and CDO treatment. The average time to cessation of movement was 151 s for HR and 159 s for CDO. Overall, no difference was found in time to insensibility or the time to death when head removal followed cervical dislocation.

Keywords

• humane death
• loss of consciousness
• nictitating membrane reflex
• cessation of movement
• decapitation
• postmortem response