Slaughter - how are they killed?
Modern abattoirs run at high speeds to kill as many animals as possible in the shortest possible time; therefore, it is almost impossible for the animals’ welfare to be properly considered. Traumatised animals are often prodded and beaten to hurry them along. Sheer fear can cause them to shake uncontrollably.
Before their throats are cut, animals are stunned in an attempt to minimise the pain and shock caused by the knife. To stun cattle, a pistol that fires a retractable bolt into the brain is used. Pigs, sheep and lambs are stunned using tongs, which fire an electric current through their brain. Live chickens and turkeys are shackled upside down and lowered into an electrified tank of water. Because of the speed of the killing lines, animals are often stunned badly and so are conscious when the blade is used. Some scientists believe, in any case, that ‘stunning’ does not stop the pain but simply ‘freezes’ the animal.
