Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders
ABSTRACT: Euthanasia is an essential task performed daily on commercial poultry farms around the world to safeguard animal welfare. Manual cervical dislocation (MCD) is the most common euthanasia method but can be challenging to perform given the physical strength required to implement this techniqu...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Poultry Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124000282 |
| _version_ | 1797291843197599744 |
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| author | Eliza N. Ripplinger Rocio Crespo Allison N. Pullin Silvia Carnaccini Nathan C. Nelson Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade Sara Reichelt Monique Pairis-Garcia |
| author_facet | Eliza N. Ripplinger Rocio Crespo Allison N. Pullin Silvia Carnaccini Nathan C. Nelson Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade Sara Reichelt Monique Pairis-Garcia |
| author_sort | Eliza N. Ripplinger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Euthanasia is an essential task performed daily on commercial poultry farms around the world to safeguard animal welfare. Manual cervical dislocation (MCD) is the most common euthanasia method but can be challenging to perform given the physical strength required to implement this technique. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool (NCDT) compared to MCD. A total of 60 Ross 308 chickens (6-wk old) and 60 Ross 706 parent stock breeders (21-wk old) were enrolled in the study. Birds were sexed, blocked by body weight, and allocated to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) MCD and 2) NCDT. Immediately following euthanasia application, insensibility, and death were monitored. Once death was confirmed, gross evaluation, radiograph, and macroscopic/microscopic scoring were performed. Both euthanasia methods were 100% effective in achieving insensibility followed by cardiac and respiratory arrest in both age groups. In 6-wk-old broilers, there were no differences in insensibility measures or location and severity of the dislocation site by treatment. The NCDT treatment group showed an increased frequency of fractures located at the tooth-like process that projects from the cranial aspect of the centrum of the axis (dens) but had no impact on bird insensibility. For parent stock, differences in nictitating membrane reflex (NMR) and laceration scores for birds euthanized with NCDT were found and likely associated with additional force exerted with the tool. The NCDT is a promising replacement for MCD and future work should address the development of free and accessible training materials for on-farm use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:43:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91d219c9b8594c588254bdc9fb156caa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0032-5791 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:43:37Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-91d219c9b8594c588254bdc9fb156caa2024-02-29T05:17:25ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912024-03-011033103449Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breedersEliza N. Ripplinger0Rocio Crespo1Allison N. Pullin2Silvia Carnaccini3Nathan C. Nelson4Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade5Sara Reichelt6Monique Pairis-Garcia7Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USADepartment of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USAPrestage Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USACollege of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GADepartment of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USADepartment of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USAAviagen North America (NA), Huntsville, AL, USADepartment of Population Health and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Corresponding author:ABSTRACT: Euthanasia is an essential task performed daily on commercial poultry farms around the world to safeguard animal welfare. Manual cervical dislocation (MCD) is the most common euthanasia method but can be challenging to perform given the physical strength required to implement this technique. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool (NCDT) compared to MCD. A total of 60 Ross 308 chickens (6-wk old) and 60 Ross 706 parent stock breeders (21-wk old) were enrolled in the study. Birds were sexed, blocked by body weight, and allocated to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) MCD and 2) NCDT. Immediately following euthanasia application, insensibility, and death were monitored. Once death was confirmed, gross evaluation, radiograph, and macroscopic/microscopic scoring were performed. Both euthanasia methods were 100% effective in achieving insensibility followed by cardiac and respiratory arrest in both age groups. In 6-wk-old broilers, there were no differences in insensibility measures or location and severity of the dislocation site by treatment. The NCDT treatment group showed an increased frequency of fractures located at the tooth-like process that projects from the cranial aspect of the centrum of the axis (dens) but had no impact on bird insensibility. For parent stock, differences in nictitating membrane reflex (NMR) and laceration scores for birds euthanized with NCDT were found and likely associated with additional force exerted with the tool. The NCDT is a promising replacement for MCD and future work should address the development of free and accessible training materials for on-farm use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124000282broiler breederbroilereuthanasiacervical dislocationanimal welfare |
| spellingShingle | Eliza N. Ripplinger Rocio Crespo Allison N. Pullin Silvia Carnaccini Nathan C. Nelson Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade Sara Reichelt Monique Pairis-Garcia Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders Poultry Science broiler breeder broiler euthanasia cervical dislocation animal welfare |
| title | Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| title_full | Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| title_fullStr | Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| title_short | Efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| title_sort | efficacy of a novel cervical dislocation tool for humane euthanasia of broilers and broiler breeders |
| topic | broiler breeder broiler euthanasia cervical dislocation animal welfare |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579124000282 |
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