Animal stunning

A method of stunning an animal for inducing substantially immediate unconsciousness and insensibility enabling processing or handling of the animal, the method comprising:

• introducing a live subject animal to be processed or handled to a stunning station and locating the animal in a generally confined position,
• locating an applicator in contact with an application point on the subject animal's head immediately overlying the frontal portion of the subject animal's brain, the applicator having a coupling conformation to couple microwave radiation through the applicator to the head and to the frontal portion of the brain of the subject animal, and
• generating microwave radiation of a suitable power level and frequency and directing that radiation through a waveguide to the applicator at an operative end of the waveguide to thereby heat the frontal portion of the brain of the subject animal,
• wherein the application of the microwave radiation to effect the heating is continued for a period of time to raise the temperature of the frontal portion of the brain, the period being
• sufficient only to rapidly induce insensibility, and
• insufficient
• (i) for the insensibility induced to be irreversible, and
• (ii) to cause significant heating of deeper brain tissues and including the brain stem.

An animal stunning apparatus for rapidly inducing unconsciousness and insensibility enabling processing or handling of a subject animal, the apparatus comprising:

• a stunning station to which a live subject animal to be processed or handled is introduced, the stunning station being arranged to locate the subject animal in a confined position, the stunning station including a head positioner to locate and present the subject animal's head in a defined position;
• an applicator located relative to the subject animal's head when in its defined position so as to contact an application point on the live subject animal's head immediately overlying a frontal portion of the animal's brain, the application point being medially located on the head of the subject animal above a line extending between the animal's eyes so as to be located at the closest external point to the central and frontal portion of the brain, the applicator having a coupling conformation to couple microwave radiation therethrough to the head and to the frontal portion of the brain of the subject animal when in the confined position at the stunning station, the applicator having an opening therein through which the microwave radiation from the waveguide is coupled to the animal's head at the application point, the peripheral portions of the applicator defining the opening contacting the animal's head to surround the application point when the applicator is in its operative position;
• a microwave generator for generating and radiating microwave energy of a suitable power level and frequency, and a waveguide coupled to the generator so as to receive and direct the microwave radiation to the applicator located at an operative end of the waveguide so as to thereby heat the frontal portion of the brain of the subject animal beneath the application point which the applicator contacts in use, stunning station including microwave shielding surrounding at least the position of the animal head when the animal is in its confined position thereby forming a Faraday cage, the shielding having an opening in which the animal's head is located;
• and
• a switch operable so as to discontinue the application of microwave radiation effecting heating of the frontal portion of the brain after a period of time sufficient to have raised the temperature of the frontal portion of the brain of the subject animal to thereby induce the unconsciousness and insensibility.