Slaughter
[1]A significant proportion of dairy cows that are culled after only one to four lactations are very thin, probably infertile and/or chronically lame and it is difficult to escape the conclusion that such animals are 'worn out' by sustained hard work.
The chronically exhausted cow does not present an immediate financial risk for the farmer, by dying or drastically reducing milk yield, and so will normally be expected to soldier on until she is culled at the end of her lactation. About 8% of recorded cows survive until the fifth to seventh lactation and a cow is usually in the herd for only four or five years. Death is mainly due to disease which accounts for at least 50% of the total loss. Accidents and death not directly attributable to disease are no more than 20% and poor milking ability around 20%. Nervous and excitable cows are often culled out of the herd directly at the demand of the person milking them.
The Government's own advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, carried out extensive research on the slaughter of `red meat' animals in 1985. They published their work entitled the Report on the Welfare of Livestock (Red Meat Animals) at the time of Slaughter.
- FAWC were concerned at the excessive use of electric goads, even to the anal or genital areas, creating confusion and stress for the animals.
- They reported that it was common for no bedding to be provided during the day and no evidence of bedding for overnight stays at the slaughterhouse lairage.
- Concern was expressed that animals had endured lengthy journeys, been held in markets, all prior to being held for 12 hours in the lairage. (n.b. animals should be fed if held longer than 12 hours).
- When being moved within the slaughterhouse, a very noisy and strange environment, animals baulked at shadows, bright light and puddles. During their visit they had seen animals escape and were concerned at the lack of expertise and consideration in rounding the animals up.
- Animals are taken from the lorry or lairage to the stunning box. The animal is closely confined in a dark and noisy place and this causes stress to the animal. The metal construction of the box means that any contact with the walls will create noise. The head of the animal is restrained and the animals are stunned with a captive bolt pistol. Smaller animals like calves are usually herded into open pens in groups. Electrical stunning is used for some animals.
Captive Bolt Stunning
Captive bolt stunning is commonly used for cattle and calves. It is a bolt, propelled by a blank cartridge or compressed air, that penetrates the skull and destroys part of the brain.
- FAWC reported "In the course of our slaughterhouse visits, we have frequently examined carcase heads to check the site of bolt penetration. In our view, there were far too many cases where penetration had not been at or near the recommended position and also evidence of a considerable number of double shots (i.e. indicating that the first shot had missed its proper target)."
- Should the velocity of the captive bolt pistol be reduced, by even a small amount, animals may not be properly stunned.
- After stunning animals may be pithed involving inserting a rod into the cavtiy made by the bolt to destroy the lower portion of the brian and the upper spinal cord. This practice is only used on cattle and is not common in England and Wales but widely used in Scotland.
- After stunning the animal undergoes sticking which cuts off the blood supply to the brain and FAWC were not satisfied that slaughtermen were aware that it should be carried out with the minimum of delay. After animals are stunned and stuck, they are bled and it is the bleeding that causes death. The industry requires that the heart should remain beating as long as possible after sticking to ensure that as much blood as possible is removed from the flesh and blood vessels. This apparently maintains the quality of the meat and its keeping potential.
"We have concluded that unconsciousness and insensibility are being assumed to exist in many slaughtering operations when it is highly probable that the degree is not sufficient to render the animal insensitive to pain."
Religious Slaughter
Professor Webster says that "the intensity of suffering experienced by a cow undergoing Halal or Shekita slaughter and conscious of choking to death in its own blood is extremely severe ..."
In the UK, approximately 3 million cattle are slaughtered each year by religious slaughtering methods, for either Jewish or Muslim consumption.
Farmers usually have no knowledge of whether their animals will be slaughtered by religious methods or not. All carcases rejected for religious reasons and the hind quarters which are not porged cannot be consumed as Kosher meat and a high proportion is distributed to be purchased by any meat-eater.
In addition, a considerably quantity of meat produced from animals slaughtered by the Muslim method is sold in non-Halal outlets. In other words it could be sold anywhere, and anyone could be buying it.
Jewish Slaughter
In the UK Jews consume beef, veal, mutton, lamb and poultry, slaughtered under the laws of Shechita by someone called a Shochet. The animal must be healthy with no injury otherwise the meat is 'trefa' (not Kosher) and cannot be eaten.
Cattle used to be restrained upsidedown before slaughter in a casting pen. However, after 1992 it was required that they be restrained in an upright position. After the cut to the throat, the animal is shackled by a hind leg and hoisted to continue the bleeding-out process. Once the animal is dead, an incision is made through the abdominal wall and adjacent diaphragm and the Jewish Inspector checks for signs of abnormality.
Muslim Slaughter
Muslims in this country consume mainly mutton, lamb and goat meat, poultry and sometimes beef. Islam is the world's most populous faith and like other religions, the detail of how it is observed and practised does vary.
Some Muslims find stunning acceptable and believe that it does not contravene Muslim teaching. However, stunning of the animal before slaughter is still acceptable to some parts of the Muslim faith and does take place in some Muslim countries. Cattle used to be restrained upsidedown in a form of casting pen or, where stunning was permitted, in the upright position in a stunning box. The intention is to provide an immediate outpouring of blood and this is achieved by severing both jugular veins and both carotid arteries using a sharp knife.
Casting Pens Banned
Cattle used to be slaughtered on their backs suffering gross discomfort due to the weight and size of the rumen pressing upon the diaphragm and thoracic organs. This caused terror and discomfort to the animals. In 1992 this was banned and they are now slaughtered in an upright position.
Variation in Expertise
Non-religious slaughterers use a stab incision into major blood vessels. The cut made for Jewish and Muslim slaughter is a transverse cut across the neck to sever the major blood vessels. According to FAWC there is a great variation in expertise when cutting animals. The knives were not always sharpened and sterilised before each animal was slaughtered. They were also concerned that some animals might be subjected to shackling, hoisting, thoracic incision and internal examination while they still retained some sensibility.
FAWC also reported that loss of consciousness following severance of the major blood vessels in the neck was not immediate. They say "The fact remains that in our view humane slaughter can best be achieved by effective stunning."
Humane Slaughter?
According to the dictionary humane means kind, tender and merciful. So, how did the term slaughter ever become described as `humane'?
Only a few people have ever been in a slaughterhouse yet many people (especially those who defend the consumption of animal products) talk about humane slaughter as if it is a `kind', `tender' and `merciful' act.
Humane is a word which has been totally misused in order to make the whole process of killing agreeable. It means people can persuade themselves that if it is `humane' slaughter then it is acceptable.
However, many concerned about the use of animals for food production would claim there is no such thing as humane slaughter; that the deliberate killing of a healthy animal for no reason other than to feed a population that could well feed itself with vegetable products is immoral.
Up until the Farm Animal Welfare Council prepared their report on slaughterhouses in the mid 1980s, everyone convinced themselves that humane slaughter was the only type of slaughter carried out in abattoirs in the UK.
They were wrong and animals were suffering in huge numbers. Even now only a fraction of the number of recommendations made in those reports have been legislated on by the government.
The only acceptable option to 'humane' slaughter is no slaughter.