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Title: INFLUENCE OF FEED WITHDRAWAL AND STUNNING VOLTAGE ON CROP EXTRACTION FORCE AND EFFICIENCY OF CROP REMOVAL DURING MANUAL EVISCERATION OF BROILERS

Author
item Buhr, Richard - Jeff
item Dickens, James
item PIZZINO, D - STUDENT

Submitted to: Southern Poultry Science Society Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2000
Publication Date: 8/18/2000
Citation: BUHR, R.J., DICKENS, J.A., PIZZINO, D.R. INFLUENCE OF FEED WITHDRAWAL AND STUNNING VOLTAGE ON CROP EXTRACTION FORCE AND EFFICIENCY OF CROP REMOVAL DURING MANUAL EVISCERATION OF BROILERS. SOUTHERN POULTRY SCIENCE SOCIETY MEETING ABSTRACT. 2000.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the influence of pre- slaughter feed withdrawal, stunning, and bleeding procedures on the incidence of crops removed intact and the peak pull force recorded during manual evisceration. Male broilers (6 wk old) were subjected to feed withdrawal for 6, 12, 18, or 24 h and stunned and bled using an in- line commercial brine stunning system set at 12 V. Subsequently (after a 12 h feed withdrawal period), in-line stunning at 12 V or 12 V + ES (electrical stimulation) was compared to stationary stunning at 50 or 200 V. In addition, the degree of "neck-crop stretching" during post- stunning automated head positioning prior to bleeding, or head removal prior to or during picking were also evaluated after a 12 h feed withdrawal period. The duration of feed withdrawal had no effect on the incidence of intact crop removal (55% for both 6 and 24 h) or the peak pull force required to remove the crop (3.05 to 3.36 kg; n=20). After stunning at 12, 50 or 200 V, peak pull force was not affected (3.47 to 3.50 kg at 6 wk and 4.14 to 4.64 kg 7 wk). However, the incidence of crops removed intact at 7 wk (n=16) was greater for 12 V and 12 V +ES (94 to 81%) than at 50 and 200 V (56 to 69%). In contrast, at 6 wk (n=16) there was no difference detected in the incidence of crops removed intact between stunning voltages of 12 and 50 V (75 to 81%). Following in-line stunning at 12 V, automated head positioning prior to bleeding or head removal prior to or during picking had no effect on the incidence of crops removed intact or peak pull force (n=32). Intact crops required less force to extract than crops that ruptured during extraction.