The Use of a Non-Penetrating Captive Bolt for the Euthanasia of Neonate Piglets

The humane destruction of newborn piglets (neonates), when required, is an issue faced by farmers and producers. The application of blunt force trauma, either through swinging the animal against a wall, or hitting it with a weighted object, is a stressful procedure for the stock person and has implications for the animal in terms of welfare, instantaneous effect and reproducibility. The United Kingdom government funded this project to find a single application method that could be used on farms that would produce an immediate kill with these animals. This project demonstrates that the use of a mechanical captive bolt device, that does not enter the head, delivers sufficient energy when applied to the head of a piglet to immediately destroy the brain leading to the death of the animal. This method will improve animal welfare on farms, as well as providing producers with a device that they can be confident will kill the animal without pain, as the brain is destroyed before the animal can perceive a pain nerve impulse