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- From: eerbl@cc.newcastle.edu.au
- Subject: Kosher Slaughter: some definitive answers
- Sender: nobody@ctr.columbia.edu
- Organization: University of Newcastle, AUSTRALIA
- Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 12:11:47 GMT
- Message-ID: <1992Dec24.231147.1@cc.newcastle.edu.au>
- Lines: 96
- X-Posted-From: cc.newcastle.edu.au
- NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.ctr.columbia.edu
-
-
- From:
- _International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems_
- "Problmes with Kosher Slaughter"
- (1980) 1: 313-337
- Author: Ms Temple Grandin
-
- Also reprinted in _Livestock Handling from Farm to Slaughter_
- (1983) Australian Government Publishing Service
-
-
- Ms Temple Grandin works as a consultant to the animal slaughter industry.
- She is quite definitely not a supporter of animals' rights.
- What follows here is some extracts from that article. If you need the primary
- references, just ask.
-
- Here are some other titles by the same author:
- (references are given for the same journal)
-
- "Livestock Behaviour as Related to Handling Facilities Design"
- (1980) 1: 33-52
-
- "Designs and Specifications for Livestock Handling in Slaughter Plants"
- (1980) 1: 178-200
-
- "Mechanical Electrical and Anaesthetic Stunning Methods for Livestock"
- (1980) 1: 242-263
-
-
- Extracts from: "Problems with Kosher Slaughter"
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- [...]
-
-
- Throat cutting without stunning
- -------------------------------
-
- There has been a great deal of controversy over whether or not it is
- painfull to cut the throat of a conscious animal as it is done in kosher and
- Muslim slaughter, and in the slaughter of lambs in New Zealand and Australia.
- While the shackling and hoisting of a conscious animal is totally unacceptable,
- the use of a restrainer does not resolve the question of throat-cutting.
-
- Nangeroni and Kenett (1963) conducted a careful study with the EEG to
- determine how long different animals reamin conscious after they have had their
- throats cut by the kosher method (Table 1). Later studies, also using EEG
- techniques, confirmed that sheep are permanantly insensible 3 to 10 seconds
- after their throats are cut (Blackmore et al, 1979). Baldwin (1971)
- demonstrated that it took 8-10 seconds for goats to become unconscious after
- the carotid arteries were tied off. It is possible that tying the carotid
- arteries could prolong the time to the onset of unconsciouness because the
- blood pressure would not necessarily drop. Small, one-week old calves may
- remain conscious (as determined by the EEG) for up to 100 seconds after having
- their throats cut kosher style. "In contrast to sheep, the vertebral artery in
- the calf directly contributes to all parts of the brain" and this delays
- cerebral anoxia (Blackmore et al, 1979). In addition, calves may remain
- conscious for longer than mature cattle due to their greater tolerance for
- anoxia (Baldwin, 1971).
-
- Table 1 - Number of seconds after the throat is cut to the onset of
- unconsciousness and cortical death as determined by the EEG
-
- Sheep Calves Cattle
- Unconsciousness 3.3-6.2 4.4-6.9 10
- Cortical Death 20.8-35.4 18.8-139.2 120-15
-
-
- [...]
-
- The Humane Concerns - Shackling and Hoisting
- --------------------------------------------
-
- Aproximately two million heavy beef steers, one million sheep and half a
- million calves are slaughtered annually for the kosher trade an the United
- States. This represents about 5% of the heavy steers and mature cattle
- slaughtered in the United States. [...] Many of the kosher plants suspend fully
- conscious animals upside down by a chain attached to one hind foot. [...] Amost
- all calves and lambs are shackled and hoisted. In fact, one of the reasons why
- kosher slaughter was exempted from the 1978 Humane Slaughter Act was that
- humane restraining equipment was not available for sheep and calves.
-
- The proceedure invovled in shackling and hoisting is as follows: Each animal
- enters a narrow stall equipped with a moveable bottom which is tilted to cause
- the animal to trip and fall down, whereupon a chain is slung round on back
- foot. The bellowing, writhing steer is then yanked up in the air. [Notes about
- he physical damage caused and the pain involved] At some plants up to five
- steers or calves can be hanging up at any one time waiting to have their
- throats cut.
-
- [...]
-
-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- - Russel
-