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Simple Summary: Retrospective CCTV footage was analysed by trained observers to assess the welfare of horses co-slaughtered with a conspecific present or slaughtered individually, restrained or unrestrained. Co-slaughtered horses were found to move around the kill pen more but were less likely to slip/fall in the pen. Both individually slaughtered horses and loose (unrestrained) horses were more likely to show agitated behaviour and resist entry to the pen, with unrestrained horses also showing increased agonistic behaviour towards abattoir personnel. Horses showed affiliative behaviour towards each other when co-slaughtered, with the shooting of the first horse seldom eliciting a startled response from the second horse. This study shows that enabling abattoirs to co-slaughter unrestrained horses could minimise stress and maximise both human safety and horse welfare. The results of this study are relevant on a wider scale, with countries across the world slaughtering high numbers of unhandled or semi-feral horses, and encourage further research to guide welfare improvements in this area. Current legislation in the United Kingdom stipulates that horses should not be slaughtered within sight of one another. However, abattoir personnel anecdotally report that, for semi-feral horses unused to restraint, co-slaughtering alongside a conspecific could reduce distress through social buffering and improve safety, but there is a lack of evidence to support this. CCTV footage from an English abattoir was assessed retrospectively with welfare indicators from when horses entered the kill pen until they were killed. Of 256 horses analysed, 12% (32/256) were co-slaughtered (alongside a conspecific) and 88% (224/256) individually. Co-slaughtered horses moved more in the pen, but individually slaughtered horses showed more agitated behaviour, required more encouragement to enter the kill pen, and experienced more slips or falls. Unrestrained horses (40%; 102/256) showed increased agitation, movement, and agonistic behaviour towards the operator and resisted entry to the kill pen compared to restrained horses (60%; 154/256). Positive interactions between conspecifics were seen in 94% (30/32) of co-slaughtered horses, and only 6% (1/16) showed a startled response to the first horse being shot, with a median time of 15 s between shots. This study highlights the impact that both conspecific and human interactions can have on equine welfare at slaughter. Semi-feral or unrestrained horses appear to experience increased distress compared to horses more familiar with human handling, and the presence of a conspecific at slaughter mitigated this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sheep in Australia are transported to abattoirs for slaughter by trucks and usually left in lairage (holding pens) overnight. They are then moved through the abattoir via a series of pens that ultimately leads to a single file race immediately before slaughter. This movement has the potential to induce considerable stress among the sheep, thus compromising welfare. This study introduces the concept of 'Optimal Flow', where sheep movement through the abattoir is the most efficient balance between speed and minimising overt signs of distress in sheep. The results of the pilot study suggest that Optimal Flow at this abattoir occurs when sheep are given enough space to move freely. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this study, we investigated various types of application of head-only electrical stunning to turkeys, in order to improve the effectiveness of the stunning process. We used recordings of physical responses and of electroencephalograms (EEGs) to assess effectivity of stunning and various waveforms: alternating current (AC) and pulsed direct currents (DC). Depending on the waveforms, voltages between 125 and 250 V produced an effective stun in turkeys in this study. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: For routine slaughter, animals are rendered unconscious prior to the act of slaughter in order to prevent pain and distress. The electrical stunning methods generally used by small-scale seasonal turkey producers can be ineffective in inducing unconsciousness. An alternative method is non-penetrating captive bolt stunning (NPCB) which involves the firing of a mushroom shaped metal rod against the head to induce concussion and unconsciousness. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two models of NPCB guns for inducing unconsciousness in turkeys. Effectiveness was assessed with behavioural responses and the level of induced brain damage. Both NPCB guns used in this study were effective in inducing unconsciousness as assessed with behavioural responses. There was extensive damage throughout all regions of the brain. These results support the use of NPCB stunning as an effective stunning method for commercial slaughter of turkeys when used correctly. 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]