The Use of a Mechanical Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt Device for the Euthanasia of Neonate Lambs

No stockperson or producer of lamb wants or likes to euthanase their young animals (neonates). At present, there are few reliable methods of achieving a humane dispatch of a neonate lamb should it be required. In the United Kingdom, the main method used in these cases is manually impacting the head by swinging the animal against a hard surface or hitting the animal with a hard object such as a hammer. This paper examines the use of a blank cartridge powered device to stun-kill neonate lambs immediately (i.e., before the animal can feel the application). Using this method, a suitable application point and power of cartridge has been determined, providing the stockperson with a reliable and repeatable single application method for euthanasing young lambs without the animal feeling any pain, as the device produces brain death faster than the nerve impulse can travel to the brain. This will improve animal welfare on-farm in these circumstances