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OwnerPaul Simon Berry, Ambur Balakrishnan Mohan Raj +3inventors
InventorsPaul Simon Berry, Ambur Balakrishnan Mohan Raj, Michael O'Callaghan, Lindsay John Wilkins, David Bernard Tinker
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Apparatus for electrical stunning and killing poultry comprises a conveyor (31) and means for applying electrical voltage across the heads of the birds (3; 37; 42). In one embodiment, means are also provided for applying a voltage between the bird's head and rear by means of a further electrode (4). In this case, a two stage stun and kill process is used, with the bird being stunned by a voltage applied to it across its head and then killed by a voltage applied between its head and rear, causing fibrillation of the heart. The apparatus may also include means (5; 34) for restraining the bird's heads and/or facilitating contact of the bird's heads with the electrodes. The electrodes themselves may take a number of forms, including dry resilient foam covered by a conductive wire mesh, or a number of parallel sprung pins, or a rail along which the bird's heads slide, or a conductive endless belt. A pair of manual stunning tongs (61) is also described.
Poultry slaughter apparatus comprising:
Slaughter apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the said first device includes two head electrodes for engagement with the bird's head, and the said second device includes a body electrode for engagement with the rear of the bird's body, the said first and second devices further including electrical circuitry for applying a first voltage to the bird across the said head electrodes for a first predetermined time and for applying a second voltage to the bird between the said body electrode and a further electrode(s) for a second predetermined time.
Slaughter apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the restraint means is arranged to restrain the animal without inverting it.
A method of slaughtering poultry comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.