Introduction

This HSA online guide to electrical waterbath stunning of poultry is intended to provide information for personnel working within the poultry industry and particularly for persons who perform various hands-on tasks with live birds as part of the poultry slaughter process.

The online guide provides background information on the slaughter method, to help the viewer to understand the technology and to perform their job competently and safely. The online guide explains how to optimise bird welfare during pre-slaughter handling, the theory and the practice of using electrical waterbaths to stun birds and how to effectively bleed birds once they are stunned.

This HSA online guide is also suitable for those with a general interest in humane slaughter, who are new to the topic and who wish to gain an understanding of poultry welfare at the time of slaughter when using electrical waterbaths, eg students of veterinary medicine and animal-related subjects. 

Download a printable PDF version of this online guide from the menu on the left.

If you work within the poultry slaughter industry at a supervisory or management level (eg Animal Welfare Officers, Official Veterinarians, persons who train people for proficiency qualifications or for Certificates of Competence in animal welfare at slaughter and maintenance engineers of slaughter equipment), then you may prefer to read the HSA Guidance Notes No.7 on ‘Electrical Waterbath Stunning of Poultry’, which contains more technical, detailed information on setting-up electrical waterbath stunners and the types, and design features, of accessory equipment that can be installed to improve bird welfare.  The guidance notes also contain examples of standard operating procedures, information on animal welfare policies and animal welfare training, useful contacts, referenced publications and a glossary of electrical waterbath terminology.

Nevertheless, the HSA Guidance Notes No.7 are also suitable for anyone with an interest in furthering their understanding of electrical waterbath stunning beyond what this online guide provides.

The HSA Guidance Notes No.7 on ‘Electrical Waterbath Stunning of Poultry’ can be downloaded free-of-charge and is also available in French (également disponible en français).

Next: Important points about this online guide