Driving Pigs to Stunning

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Course content - Driving Pigs to Stunning
   1. Driving system using biological principles
   2. Driving system with no concern for biological principles
   3. Other systems for driving pigs to stunning
   4. Consequences of bad pre-slaughter handling
   5. The slaughter pig
   6. Sensory capacity of the pig
   7. Physical conditions
   8. Social conditions
   9. Handling conditions
   10. Simple ways of making handling easier
   11. Assessment of driving quality
   12. Designing a driving system based on biological principles
   13. Problems that still need to be solved
3. Completion

Course content - Driving Pigs to Stunning

Pre-slaughter handling of pigs is a multidisciplinary subject. This learning resource will focus on important relationships in the complex system, on how handling of pigs affects the experience and the reactions of the animal, and on the consequences for the meat industry. The important relationships in pre-slaughter handling are the starting point for this resource, which deals specifically with driving pigs to stunning on the day of slaughter.

Pre-slaughter handling: important relationships. Figure: Anne Algers.

Driving to stunning: most important relationships. Figure: Anne Algers.