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Animals
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Animal Welfare at Slaughter
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Animal Welfare at Slaughter

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 34085

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Troy J. Gibson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK
Interests: animal welfare; welfare assessment; slaughter; stunning painful husbandry procedures; vertebrate pest control

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is estimated that 89 billion terrestrial animals are slaughtered for human consumption annually. While figures for slaughtered farmed and wild caught fish are debated, they are considered as being significantly greater than that for terrestrial animals. The one common experience that all animals destined for human consumption face is the process and act of slaughter. During the entire slaughter process, there is a significant potential for serious welfare compromise.

Once at the abattoir, animals are in an unknown environment, and they are often mixed with or in close proximity to unfamiliar animals, causing potential stress, agitation and injury. From the yards to the stun/kill box, the animals are further exposed to stresses, such as unfamiliar sounds, sights, smells, reflections and contrasts in colours. The design of stun/kill boxes, lighting, restraints and conveyors can affect the welfare of the animals prior to stunning/slaughter. All these events can cause suffering. Any consideration of the welfare of animals submitted for slaughter must therefore consider all the events involved during the entire slaughter process and not just the act of slaughter itself.

Significant improvements in animal welfare during slaughter have been made, particularly with improved animal handling techniques; improvements in slaughterhouse design and management; and the development of improved stunning/slaughter systems. However, despite these advances, there are still serious welfare issues associated with the management, restraint, stunning and slaughter of animals for human consumption.

This Special Issue invites original research papers that examine animal welfare during the commercial slaughter process. The scope is limited to welfare during the process of slaughter and does not include transportation, on-farm killing or capture (wild caught fish). Topics can include assessment and comparison of stunning and slaughter methods (including non-stun); welfare during unloading and in lairage; restraint; and individual and group stunning methods. Original papers on novel and new technologies are encouraged as are papers on fish stunning. Review papers are permitted provided they give a new perspective of the literature and include recent research.

Dr. Troy J. Gibson
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • welfare
  • slaughter
  • stunning
  • non-stunned
  • lairage
  • behaviour
  • physiology
  • poultry
  • livestock
  • fish

Published Papers (11 papers)

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16 pages, 859 KiB  
Article
Prevalence of Potential Indicators of Welfare Status in Young Calves at Meat Processing Premises in New Zealand
by Anna L. Palmer, Ngaio J. Beausoleil, Alana C. Boulton and Naomi Cogger
Animals 2021, 11(8), 2467; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082467 - 23 Aug 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2516
Abstract
In New Zealand, over two million dairy calves between four and seven days of age are sent to meat processing premises every year. There is a need to develop protocols for holistically assessing the welfare of calves sent to slaughter in the first [...] Read more.
In New Zealand, over two million dairy calves between four and seven days of age are sent to meat processing premises every year. There is a need to develop protocols for holistically assessing the welfare of calves sent to slaughter in the first week of life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of potential animal-based indicators of the welfare state in bobby calves in lairage. The study observed calves in lairage between June and October 2016. Data collection involved assessing groups of calves in pens followed by non-invasive measurements on up to five calves within each pen. We made 23 visits to 12 meat processing premises with group-level observations made on 5910 calves in 102 pens, followed by a non-invasive examination of 504 calves. During the group level observations, none of the calves had their heads tilted or were panting, and coughing and play behaviour were observed in only 1% of pens. In contrast, at least one calf had faecal soiling in all the observed pens, with the percentage of calves affected in each pen ranging from 1% to 48%. In the individual observations, more than 60% of calves had signs of some degree of dehydration, and nearly 40% had some faecal soiling present. In addition, 24% of calves had a respiratory rate over 36 breaths per minute, considered higher than normal. The change in prevalence of some indicators—as time spent in lairage increased or as the calving season progressed—is worth further exploration. Identification of prevalent animal-based indicators facilitates better understanding of the welfare status of young calves in lairage, and these should be incorporated into more holistic calf welfare assessment schemes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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14 pages, 661 KiB  
Article
Effects of Slaughter Positions on Catecholamine, Blood Biochemical and Electroencephalogram Changes in Cattle Restrained Using a Modified Mark IV Box
by Jurhamid Columbres Imlan, Ubedullah Kaka, Yong-Meng Goh, Zulkifli Idrus, Elmutaz Atta Awad, Ahmed Abubakar Abubakar, Tanbir Ahmad, Hassan N. Quaza Nizamuddin and Awis Qurni Sazili
Animals 2021, 11(7), 1979; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11071979 - 01 Jul 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5125
Abstract
The proper slaughter positioning of animals is among the most crucial factors in animal welfare. The lateral position in Halal slaughter is a technique used around the world by Muslims, with a few practicing the upright position. The literature on the effects of [...] Read more.
The proper slaughter positioning of animals is among the most crucial factors in animal welfare. The lateral position in Halal slaughter is a technique used around the world by Muslims, with a few practicing the upright position. The literature on the effects of slaughter in upright versus lateral positions on pain and stress is scarce. Thus, this study was designed to evaluate the effects of slaughter positions on blood biochemical parameters, plasma catecholamines, and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses. Twenty Brahman crossbred steers were subjected to slaughter in either lateral recumbency (LP) (n = 10) or an upright position (UP) (n = 10). There was a significant increase in adrenaline (p < 0.0001) and noradrenaline (p < 0.05) at T2 compared to T1 in the animals of both groups. A significant difference (p < 0.0001) was observed in the median frequency (MF) and total power (Ptot) of EEG, parameters for pain and stress, between the animals slaughtered in the upright and the lateral position. However, MF and delta waves were significantly higher (p < 0.05) after slaughter in the UP group than in the LP group. The results demonstrate a lesser amount of stress and pain responses among the LP group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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17 pages, 1113 KiB  
Article
Optimal Flow—A Pilot Study Balancing Sheep Movement and Welfare in Abattoirs
by Melissa J. Starling, Elyssa Payne and Paul McGreevy
Animals 2021, 11(2), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020344 - 29 Jan 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1942
Abstract
Abattoirs are faced with the challenge of moving livestock efficiently through the plant, while also engaging in handling practices that assure good animal welfare. Achieving optimal outcomes for both of these goals can bring them into conflict. An additional source of conflict can [...] Read more.
Abattoirs are faced with the challenge of moving livestock efficiently through the plant, while also engaging in handling practices that assure good animal welfare. Achieving optimal outcomes for both of these goals can bring them into conflict. An additional source of conflict can arise from the design of the abattoir. These problems are compounded by the dearth of research available to inform how livestock should be handled to achieve all of these goals. We applied the concept of ‘Optimal Flow’ to describe conditions under which rate of movement is maximised while overt signs of distress in sheep are minimised. Effectively, this represents the point at which trade-offs between speed and welfare converge. The current pilot study examined the behavioural interactions between humans (n = 5), livestock herding dogs (n = 7), and sheep (n = 3235) in a large Australian abattoir to describe the factors associated with an increase or decrease in rate of sheep movement per minute. It revealed that distress behaviours in sheep were associated with dog presence and with a decrease in livestock movement rate. However, we found that as sheep density increased, there was increased livestock movement rate as well as an elevated incidence of distress behaviours. Optimal Flow at this abattoir was achieved by maintaining sheep at lower densities. Our report discusses the possible confounds in this interpretation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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14 pages, 876 KiB  
Article
Head-Only Stunning of Turkeys Part 2: Subjective and Objective Assessment of the Application of AC and DC Waveforms
by Steve Wotton, Andrew Grist, Mike O’Callaghan and Ed van Klink
Animals 2021, 11(2), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020286 - 23 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1632
Abstract
Electrical stunning is likely to remain an important stunning method for turkeys at slaughter. The purpose of this study is to understand the application of various waveforms of alternating current (AC) and pulsed direct currents (DC), head-only, to turkeys and to improve the [...] Read more.
Electrical stunning is likely to remain an important stunning method for turkeys at slaughter. The purpose of this study is to understand the application of various waveforms of alternating current (AC) and pulsed direct currents (DC), head-only, to turkeys and to improve the effectiveness of handheld stunning of turkeys. We evaluated the effectiveness of stunning by documenting physical responses and recording electroencephalograms (EEGs). For the assessment of physical responses, the stunning voltage was varied depending on the proportion of animals effectively stunned at a certain voltage level. If all turkeys in a group of 10 were stunned, the voltage was decreased, and the next group was stunned. This was repeated until not all turkeys showed signs of being effectively stunned. The experiment was then repeated at the voltage level just above the one that showed incomplete effective stunning. The effects of the stunning on the EEG recording was assessed in 16 turkeys to measure the occurrence of epileptiform EEGs, in 14 turkeys to assess epileptiform EEGs after neck-cut (bleeding), and in 14 turkeys to assess the effect of increased voltage and reduced frequency on epileptiform EEGs. Assessing EEGs in a laboratory setting contributes considerably to the understanding of electrical stunning procedures. Voltages between 125 and 250 V, depending on the waveform assessed, were effective in producing an effective stun in turkeys in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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7 pages, 498 KiB  
Article
Head-Only Stunning of Turkeys Part 1: The Minimum Voltage Necessary to Break Down the Inherent High Resistance
by Steve Wotton, Andrew Grist, Mike O’Callaghan and Ed van Klink
Animals 2020, 10(12), 2427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122427 - 18 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1509
Abstract
Pre-slaughter stunning is required for humane slaughter. For turkeys, head-only electrical stunning is most often used by small scale producers. To ensure immediate and effective stunning, the impedance (resistance) of the tissue of the head of the animal situated between the two electrodes [...] Read more.
Pre-slaughter stunning is required for humane slaughter. For turkeys, head-only electrical stunning is most often used by small scale producers. To ensure immediate and effective stunning, the impedance (resistance) of the tissue of the head of the animal situated between the two electrodes needs to be overcome swiftly. The impedance is a function of the voltage and decreases non-linearly with increasing voltage. In this paper, we describe a method to assess the minimum voltage needed at which the impedance no longer decreases, that is likely to produce an effective stun. For ethical reasons, gas stunned, electrically naïve turkeys were used to measure impedance at various levels of voltage and current. Several combinations of voltage and frequency, alternate current (AC), direct current (DC) and pulsed DC, were identified that would be sufficient to achieve the maximum decrease in the impedance, and therefore would allow the highest current and the most effective stun. A minimum, expressed as Root Mean Squared voltage, of 150 V and 50 Hz. would be required in AC, 175 V in pulsed DC at 30% cycle (150 at 50% cycle), and 225 V if voltage spikes of very short duration were used. Sinusoidal AC applied at 150 V, 50 Hz was selected for further testing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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12 pages, 4083 KiB  
Article
Further Examination of the Performance of Blank Cartridges Used in Captive Bolt Devices for the Pre-Slaughter Stunning of Animals
by Andrew Grist, Randall Bock, Toby G. Knowles and Stephen B. Wotton
Animals 2020, 10(11), 2146; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10112146 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2646
Abstract
Blank cartridges produce gas through deflagration and are used as the main power source in captive bolt devices used within abattoirs and on farms in Europe. The European legislation recognises this and requires users to follow manufacturers’ recommendations in terms of which power [...] Read more.
Blank cartridges produce gas through deflagration and are used as the main power source in captive bolt devices used within abattoirs and on farms in Europe. The European legislation recognises this and requires users to follow manufacturers’ recommendations in terms of which power cartridge to use. Variation in cartridge performance of Eley (E) cartridges was found in previous research, which was published before Accles and Shelvoke (AS) started full production of their own cartridges. This work examined cartridge performance, structural integrity and dimensional tolerances, and found that the new AS cartridges that varied more greatly in performance in terms of velocity, kinetic energy and mechanical stability of casing than the more established E cartridges. In this study, 15% of the cartridges split at the primer flange on firing, resulting in less kinetic energy, which could impact the ability of the captive bolt to produce a successful stun. This, combined with the variation in performance in a primary component of a device that should have a uniform performance, could lead to animal welfare issues as this variation cannot be predetermined by examination of the cartridge pre firing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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19 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Animal-Based Measurements to Assess the Welfare of Dairy Cull Cows during Pre-Slaughter
by Marlyn H. Romero, Magali Rodríguez-Palomares and Jorge Alberto Sánchez
Animals 2020, 10(10), 1802; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101802 - 04 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2665
Abstract
Culling is the departure of cows from the herd as a result of sale, slaughter, health, national regulations, salvage, or death. Cull cows are removed from farms with poor health, production, behavior, or other problems, and during pre-slaughter they are sometimes kept without [...] Read more.
Culling is the departure of cows from the herd as a result of sale, slaughter, health, national regulations, salvage, or death. Cull cows are removed from farms with poor health, production, behavior, or other problems, and during pre-slaughter they are sometimes kept without food and water, which compromises their well-being. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the welfare state of culled dairy cows during pre-slaughter using some animal-based measurements and to identify possible associations between them. Data were recorded for 62 different dairy production farms referring to 137 cull cows (n = 60 Holstein and n = 77 Normandy crosses) slaughtered in an abattoir in Colombia (South America). In this study, we evaluated and recorded land transport conditions, the health of animals on arrival to the abattoir, human–animal interaction, stress physiological variables and the association of these variables with characteristic bruises on the carcass, the lairage time, the presence of diseases, and the stage of pregnancy. In total, 98.5% of the cows were very thin, 35.7% were pregnant, and 84.7% had bruising on the carcass. In total, 74.5% had clinical conditions; these included skin lesions (32.4%), mastitis (27.5%), lameness (21.6%), vulvar secretions (8.8%), diarrhea (6.8%), and eye carcinoma (2.9%). The total number of cull cows with bruises during pre-slaughter was associated with lot size, transport time, presence of pregnancy, body score condition, and creatine kinase levels. The results suggest that the cows were not fit for transport because their health was severely affected before they left the farms. The animal-based indicators used in this study are useful for evaluating the welfare of cull dairy cows at abattoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
11 pages, 5586 KiB  
Article
Effect of Indigenous Slaughter Methods on the Behavioural Response, Bleeding Efficiency and Cardiac Arrest of Nguni Goats
by Zwelethu Mfanafuthi Mdletshe, Munyaradzi Christopher Marufu and Michael Chimonyo
Animals 2020, 10(2), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020247 - 04 Feb 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3236
Abstract
Resource-limited farmers slaughter goats without stunning. The objective of the current study was to assess the influence of indigenous slaughter methods used by resource-limited households on slaughter stress-related behaviour, bleeding efficiency, and time to post-slaughter trauma of goats. Thirty clinically healthy castrated Nguni [...] Read more.
Resource-limited farmers slaughter goats without stunning. The objective of the current study was to assess the influence of indigenous slaughter methods used by resource-limited households on slaughter stress-related behaviour, bleeding efficiency, and time to post-slaughter trauma of goats. Thirty clinically healthy castrated Nguni goats aged between 15 to 18 months old with body condition score of three were randomly assigned to three non-stunning informal slaughter methods, (1) transverse neck incision (TNI); (2) suprasternal notch piercing in the direction of the heart (SNP); and (3) under-shoulder-blade chest-floor point-of-elbow (CFP) sticking in the direction of the heart. Ten goats were slaughtered using each method. Slaughter method had no effect (p < 0.05) on stress-related behaviour. Rate of bleeding efficiency was highest (p < 0.05) for SNP slaughtered goats. Time to lose sensibility was lowest (p < 0.05) for goats slaughtered using the CFP (55 s) when compared to SNP (68 s) and TNI (75 s) slaughter methods. Time to post-slaughter trauma was highest (p < 0.05) for SNP (247 s) and lowest for TNI (195 s). These findings suggest that goats slaughtered with SNP experienced rapid death when compared to TNI and SNP slaughter methods. It was concluded that the SNP slaughter method is the most effective slaughter technique because it is associated with higher bleeding efficiency and lower time to lose sensibility before death. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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12 pages, 2101 KiB  
Article
Pathophysiology of Concussive Non-Penetrative Captive Bolt Stunning of Turkeys
by Troy J. Gibson, Emma King, Jade Spence and Georgina Limon
Animals 2019, 9(12), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9121049 - 29 Nov 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3292
Abstract
The non-penetrative captive bolt (NPCB) has been proposed as a more humane and practical alternative to constant voltage electrical stunning for small-scale seasonal turkey producers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CASH® Small Animal Tool (SAT) (formerly known as the CASH [...] Read more.
The non-penetrative captive bolt (NPCB) has been proposed as a more humane and practical alternative to constant voltage electrical stunning for small-scale seasonal turkey producers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the CASH® Small Animal Tool (SAT) (formerly known as the CASH® Poultry Killer, CPK) and three configurations of the Turkey Euthanasia Device (TED), assessing behavioural, cranial/spinal responses and brain pathology. Immediately after stunning all birds showed cessation of rhythmic breathing and loss of neck and beak tension. One bird shot with the TED/hen configuration showed a positive nictitating membrane reflex in one eye with no other positive reflexes. All birds had moderate/severe gross damage to the hyperpallium layer over the cerebrums. For almost all other cerebrum structures, thalamus, and hindbrain, the TED/poult configuration and SAT produced the most extensive damage. The frequency of petechial haemorrhage in the pons and medulla was less in SAT shot birds (76% and 71% respectively) compared to those shot with the different configurations of the TED (ranging from 81% to 100%), however this difference was not significant. In conclusion, both NPCB guns were effective in inducing unconsciousness in turkeys, regardless of the variations in shot position and the different configurations of the TED. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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20 pages, 1579 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Welfare Training on Bird Welfare and Carcass Quality in Two Commercial Poultry Primary Processing Plants
by Ellie Wigham, Andrew Grist, Siobhan Mullan, Stephen Wotton and Andrew Butterworth
Animals 2019, 9(8), 584; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9080584 - 20 Aug 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4358
Abstract
The number of broilers slaughtered globally is increasing. Ensuring acceptable welfare conditions for birds at the time of slaughter is paramount in meeting legislative and retailer specifications, and in producing high quality meat. There is knowledge that welfare training programs for members of [...] Read more.
The number of broilers slaughtered globally is increasing. Ensuring acceptable welfare conditions for birds at the time of slaughter is paramount in meeting legislative and retailer specifications, and in producing high quality meat. There is knowledge that welfare training programs for members of the farming and red meat slaughter industry can improve animal welfare measures and product quality, however there is little evidence of the effects of welfare training in poultry processing plants. In our study, a comprehensive welfare training program was introduced to a Costa Rican and a British commercial broiler primary processing plant, both of which slaughter birds by way of neck cut post electrical water bath stunning. The effects of this program on some welfare and product quality measures were investigated, both immediately and six months post training. The welfare measures that showed significant improvements post training included; flapping at shackling, pre-stun shocks, stun parameters and effective neck cut. Product quality measures including broken wings and red pygostyles also improved, however the positive effect of training was not seen in all quality measures. Welfare training does have the potential to improve broiler welfare and product quality at slaughter, and these data could help the development and targeting of future welfare training courses and encourage the uptake of welfare training in the poultry slaughter industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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9 pages, 4893 KiB  
Case Report
A Case of Multiple Stun Attempts in a Bovine Due to Chronic Disease Process Causing Cranial Abnormalities
by Andrew Grist and Stephen B. Wotton
Animals 2021, 11(1), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010116 - 08 Jan 2021
Viewed by 1780
Abstract
The preslaughter stunning of bovine animals is a legal requirement in the European Union, unless the animal is being slaughtered according to religious rite. The legislation also requires the investigation and review of stunning methods in cases of failure to stun. This paper [...] Read more.
The preslaughter stunning of bovine animals is a legal requirement in the European Union, unless the animal is being slaughtered according to religious rite. The legislation also requires the investigation and review of stunning methods in cases of failure to stun. This paper presents the results of one investigation into the possible reasons for multiple stun attempts on an animal that received five shot applications. The head was hard frozen to prevent the deformation of brain structures during splitting along the sagittal plane, and then underwent macroscopic examination to assess the likely causes of the repeated stun attempts. In this case, a pre-existing chronic disease process produced anatomical variations of the cranial cavity, increasing the thickness of the sinuses of the frontal bone to a depth of 9 cm and filling the sinuses with a fibrinous pus deposit. It was therefore concluded that the anatomical variation produced by the chronic disease process, in addition to the energy absorption provided by the thicker hide and fibrinous pus, led to the failure of the stunning equipment to achieve the desired stunned state in the animal. As the animal displayed cranial variation before slaughter, a review of the stunning systems should include a requirement that animals displaying any abnormalities should be stunned with the highest-powered cartridge available or a free bullet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Welfare at Slaughter)
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