600

Received for publication February 23, 1998.

Accepted for publication November 23, 1998.
1
To whom correspondence should be addressed: e.lambooij@
id.dlo.nl
The Effects of Captive Bolt and Electrical Stunning, and Restraining
Methods on Broiler Meat Quality
E. LAMBOOIJ,
1
C. PIETERSE, S.J.W. HILLEBRAND, and G. B. DIJKSTERHUIS
Institute for Animal Science and Health, ID-DLO, P.O. Box 65, 8200 AB, Lelystad, The Netherlands
ABSTRACT The effects of captive bolt stunning using
air pressure, compared to electrical water bath stunning,
on broiler carcass and meat quality were evaluated. The
birds were shackled or placed in a cone. Two trials were
conducted using a total of 160 female broilers. The four
stunning-restraining treatments were whole-body elec-
trical stunning (10 s, 110 mA, 300 Hz) in a water bath or
air pressure stunning (0.5 s, 2 atm) while broilers were
shackled by their feet or placed in a cone. Air pressure
stunning caused a higher (P < 0.01) degree of convul-
sions and a lower (P < 0.01) degree of blood loss than
electrical stunning, and reduced the prevalence of
broken clavicles (P < 0 .05) and coracoids (P < 0 .01).
Blood loss of shackled broilers was slightly higher (P <
0.05) than those restrained in a cone. Air pressure
stunning resulted in significantly (P < 0.01) lower pH
values and hemorrhaging in filets and thigh muscles
than electrical stunning. The incidence of thigh muscle
hemorrhaging was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced when
broilers were restrained in a cone compared to being
shackled. The stunning and restraining treatments did
not result in differences in cooking losses. The filets
from shackled birds were judged more tender than the
filets from cone-restrained birds. With respect to the
effect of stunning method, the filets of air pressure
stunned birds was judged more tender than the meat
from electrically stunned birds. Captive bolt stunning
using air pressure has benefits over electrical stunning;
however, a suitable stunning and restraining device
remains to be developed.
(Key words: broiler, stunning, restraining, meat quality)
1999 Poultry Science 78:600607
INTRODUCTION
Electrical stunning is normally used to induce un-
consciousness during cutting and bleeding for reasons of
animal welfare in the EU or to induce immobilization to
facilitate automatic neck cutting in the U.S. In a
waterbath, in which electrical current is applied to the
whole body, a minimum current of 120 mA per bird is
recommended in the EU to induce unconsciousness and
cardiac arrest (Gregory and Wotton, 1990). This recom-
mended minimum current for broilers in the EU
increases quality defects (hemorrhages, broken bones) of
carcasses and broiler meat (Veerkamp and de Vries,
1983; Gregory and Wilkins, 1989a). It is apparent that
there is a conflict between welfare and meat quality
under the electrical water bath stunning and killing
procedure. Therefore, alternative methods for stunning
broilers have to be explored.
Novel methods of stunning using gases have been
developed (Raj et al., 1990a; Hoenderken et al., 1994);
however, gaseous stunning involves an induction phase
that can be stressful to the birds. In order to find a
slaughter technology that satisfies most of the welfare
and quality requirements, alternative methods have to
be explored.
In a previous study (Hillebrand et al., 1996a), the
effects of conventional electrical water bath stunning,
electrical head-only stunning, and mechanical captive
bolt stunning on broiler meat quality were compared.
The development of the latter two alternative stunning
methods for poultry makes it essential to prevent the
post-stun convulsions caused by these stunning
methods. Nevertheless, head-only and captive bolt
stunning are promising alternatives to the conventional
electrical stunning procedure with respect to hemor-
rhaging. Compared to water bath stunning, fewer
hemorrhages in broiler breast and thigh muscles were
observed after head-only and captive bolt stunning.
Reducing the number and intensity of convulsions is
considered positive, even though hemorrhaging or bird
welfare are not necessarily negatively affected by it.
However, convulsions are objectionable on aesthetic
grounds. Moreover, a motionless animal is required for
neck cutting. An extremely high frequency current
applied through the whole body, a so-called relaxation
current, is one of the means that is used to attempt
blocking spinal cord reflexes after head-only stunning.
Administering of a relaxation current did not always
STUN-RESTRAIN EFFECTS ON BROILER MEAT QUALITY 601
(completely) suppress post-stun muscle reactions
(Hillebrand et al., 1996a).
Recently, a modified captive bolt stunning method for
broilers has been developed, in which air pressure is
used to prevent convulsions. Air pressure stunning
reduced post-stun convulsing to less than 15% of the
level of convulsions observed after original captive bolt
stunning of broilers (Hillebrand et al., 1996b). Free
struggle (wing flapping) of shackled birds results in an
accelerated early rigor development compared to physi-
cally restrained (e.g., placed in a cone or wings secured
to the body by straps) birds (Ngoka and Froning, 1982;
Papinaho et al., 1995). Lyon et al. (1992) found that wing
restraints placed on carcasses prior to evisceration
resulted in significantly lower shear values at two
postmortem deboning times. Ngoka and Froning (1982)
reported darker breast muscles of turkeys that were
allowed to struggle freely. Apart from the effect on rigor
development, an effect of the restraining method on the
degree of muscle hemorrhaging has been reported after
various electrical stunning methods (Hillebrand et al.,
1996a). In previous research, electrical whole-body
stunning was in all cases applied to shackled broilers,
whereas captive bolt stunning was always applied to
broilers placed in a cone.
Various stunning methods and electrical parameters
have been reported to have a different effect on
postmortem rigor development and subsequent meat
quality in poultry. High current electrical whole-body
stunning at 100 mA and above resulted in higher initial
muscle pH than unstunned birds or birds stunned at 50
mA or less (Papinaho and Fletcher, 1995). Breast muscle
shear values of birds whole-body stunned with currents
lower than 100 mA were lower than or similar to,
depending on the deboning time, shear values after
stunning with currents higher than 100 mA (Dickens
and Lyon, 1993; Papinaho and Fletcher, 1996). Differ-
ences in the rate of postmortem glycolysis, induced by
other stunning procedures such as gaseous stunning,
have been reported to result in differences in meat
quality traits such as color and texture (Raj et al., 1990a;
Raj, 1994). The effects of captive bolt stunning using air
pressure on the rate of pH decline and meat quality
have to be assessed to determine the relative merits of
this stunning procedure. Besides hemorrhaging and
broken bones, which are major concerns with electrical
water bath stunning, sensory meat quality parameters,
such as texture, juiciness, taste, and color after water
bath and air pressure stunning were compared in the
present study.
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect
of captive bolt stunning using air pressure, compared to
electrical waterbath stunning, on broiler carcass and
meat quality. In addition, the effect of restraining
method, as well as interacting effects of stunning and
restraining methods, on carcass and meat quality were
examined.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Design
Two experimental trials were conducted using a total of
160 female broilers (5 to 6 wk of age, average live weight
1.5 0.1 kg for all treatment groups) to determine the
influence of two stunning and two restraining methods on
meat quality. Broilers were raised at the farm of our
institute under standard conditions, caught, and trans-
ported to the pilot plant the day before slaughter. Feed
was withdrawn 10 h prior to slaughter. In both trials, 80
broilers were used and randomly assigned to one of four
following stunning-restraining treatments: 1) whole-body
electrical stunning in a saline waterbath while broilers
were shackled by their feet (10 s, 116 15 mA, 300 Hz,
sinusoidal AC; n = 20 per trial); 2) placed in a cone (10 s,
108 25 mA, 300 Hz, sinusoidal AC; n = 20 per trial); 3) air
pressure stunning with an injection time of 0.5 s and an air
pressure of 2 atm while broilers were shackled (n = 20 per
trial); 4) placed in a cone (n = 20 per trial). The stunning
methods used in this study all concerned individual
stunning of the birds. Macroscopic brain damage caused
by air pressure stunning was verified after processing.
Neck cutting was performed 10 to 15 s from the end of the
application of stunning procedure. Birds were exsangui-
nated for 3 min and remained restrained as during the
stunning procedure. Carcasses were transferred to
processing shackles and moved into a scalder (4 min, 50 C)
and then conveyed to a plucker. After evisceration the
carcasses were air chilled (fast chilling for 40 min at 11 C,
followed by slow chilling for 80 min at 0 C). After chilling
(2.5 h postmortem), left andright breast muscles (Pectoralis
major and Pectoralis minor) and left and right thighs were
removed from the carcasses and placed in plastic bags for
storage at 2 C until the next day.
Measurements
The degree of muscle reactions (convulsions) during
stunning and exsanguination was subjectively scored
(scores 0, 1, 2, and 3 represent no, mild, moderate, and
severe convulsions, respectively) in 30-s periods, up to 3
min after stunning. For each broiler, total convulsion
scores were computed by adding up the scores of the
30-s periods.
Blood loss was determined by the difference in body
weight before neck cutting and after 3 min exsanguination
and expressed as a percentage of the body weight before
bleeding.
Temperature and pH in breast muscle (P. major) was
measured after evisceration (20 min postmortem), after
the fast chilling phase (60 min postmortem), after the slow
chilling phase (140 min postmortem), and at 1 d
postmortem. Temperature and pH in thigh muscle (Flexor
cruris medialis) was measured after the slowchilling phase
(60 min postmortem) only. Muscle pHwas measured with
LAMBOOIJ ET AL. 602
2
Elscolab, Zonnebank 18, 3606 CB Maarssenbroek, The Netherlands.
3
Testo b.v., Randstad 21-53, 1314 BH Almere, The Netherlands.
a portable pH measuring device
2
(Scott Gerate, type CG
818) connected to an Ingold electrode
2
(Xerolyt, type LOT
406-M6-DXK-S7/25), and temperature with a digital
thermometer
3
(Testo 901).
Fractures of pectoral bones (clavicle, scapula, and
coracoid; present or absent), and wing hemorrhages were
scored subjectively (categories 1, 2, and 3 represent mild,
moderate, and severe hemorrhaging, respectively) when
breast muscles and thighs were excised fromthe carcasses
by cutting off the lateral surface.
At 1 d postmortem, quality traits of breast and thigh
muscles were assessed. Primary color coordinates L*, a*,
and b* were assessed [on CIE (Commission Internationale
de lEclairage) LAB space] in the breast muscle (ventral
side of P. major; presented as a mean value of the
measurements in four locations equally distributed over
the muscle), and in thigh muscles (Iliotibialis cranialis and
F. cruris medialis) using a Hunter
2
(type LS 5000)
reflectance colorimeter (standard observer 10 degrees,
D65 light source). Hue [tint; sin
1
((b/a)/sqrt (1 + (b/
a)*(b/a)))] and Chroma [saturation; sqrt ((a
2
) + (b
2
)] were
derived from the primary color coordinates. Hemor-
rhages in breast (dorsal side of P. major and minor) and left
and right thigh muscles (medial side) were quantified by a
visual grading system. The classification was performed
independently by four observers. For classification, a
threshold model consisting of a discontinuous five-point
scale with four cutoff points was used. Cutoff points were
formed by photographs of breast and thigh muscles
showing a particular severity of hemorrhages: Class 1
represents hemorrhage-free muscles and Class 5
represents muscles with numerous and severe hemor-
rhages. Hemorrhage scores reported are mean values of
the four observers for left and right sides.
After color was measured and hemorrhages were
scored at Day 1, breast muscles were frozen (20 C) in
bags. Before preparation for sensory quality assessment
after 6 mo, the two halves of the P. major were thawed one
night at room temperature and were wrapped separately
in aluminum foil. The thickest part of the muscle was
removed to minimize preparation differences caused by
thickness deviation. The packaged breast muscles were
heated in a double-plated contact grill (2 min, 180 C).
Cooking losses were determined by reweighing muscle
samples after cooking. Samples were presented to a
trained sensory panel immediately after cooking. Alumi-
num foil was removed and a sample measuring 4 cm in
length (and of natural width and thickness) was cut from
the middle part of the filet. Tenderness, juiciness, and
intensity of taste of the breast meat were assessed by
means of a line scale. The line scale was presented to the
panelists using the Compusense computer system for
sensory analysis (Compusense, 1996). The scores on the
line scales were converted into numbers ranging from0 to
100. The line scales contained labels very weak and
very strong, at the left and right side of the scale,
respectively. This procedure means that the higher the
value, the more tender or juicy the samples were
perceived.
Statistical Analysis
The effect of trial, stunning, and restraining procedure
and interacting effects on the continuous parameters,
blood loss, temperature, pH, color values, cooking loss,
and sensory quality parameters were analyzed with
analysis of variance models. Subjective scores for muscle
reactions and hemorrhaging were analyzed with a
threshold model, assuming an underlying logistic distri-
bution (proportional odds model) (McCullagh and
Nelder, 1989). Binary variables and bone fractures were
analyzed with logistic regression (Cox and Snell, 1990).
The calculations were performed with the statistical
programming language Genstat 5 (1993).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The replicates by stunning or restraining interactions
were not significant; therefore the data were combined
across trials. Results of the measurements indicate
interactions of stunning and restraining effects for two
measurements only. Therefore, the main effects of
stunning and restraining are presented separately in
Table 1. Results of interacting effects are reported in the
text.
Muscle Reactions
Air pressure stunning caused a higher (P < 0.01) degree
of convulsions than electrical whole-body stunning the
first 30 s immediately after stunning, and, consequently in
total convulsion scores. In the first 30 s after air pressure
stunning, mild convulsions were observed in 40% of the
birds, and moderate convulsions were observed in 56% of
the birds, whereas after electrical whole-body stunning,
only moderate convulsions were observed in 3% of the
broilers. Hardly any muscle reactions were observed after
30 s post-stun for both methods. Placing broilers in a cone
during stunning and exsanguination partly masks the
severe wing flapping caused by original captive bolt
stunning (Hillebrand et al., 1996a); however, wing flap-
ping was not observed after air pressure stunning. The
milder form of muscle reactions caused by air pressure
stunning was not affected by the restraining method.
Blood Loss
Electrical whole-body stunning resulted in a signifi-
cantly higher (P < 0.01) blood loss 3 min after neck cutting
than air pressure stunning. It has been reported that
electrical stunning aids the bleedout of poultry (Kuenzel et
al., 1978). Stunning with higher voltages (80 to 200 V) has
been shown to decrease bleeding rate compared to
stunning with 50 V(Kuenzel and Ingling, 1977; Veerkamp
STUN-RESTRAIN EFFECTS ON BROILER MEAT QUALITY 603
TABLE 1. Blood loss, breast and thigh muscle pH and temperature, meat quality parameter means and standard deviations, and
incidence of pectoral bone fractures of broilers electrically whole-body
1
or air pressure
2
stunned
while shackled or restrained in a cone (n = 80 per stunning or restraining method)
1
Electrical whole-body stunning (10 s, 116 15 mA, 300 Hz, sinusoidal AC) in a saline water bath while broilers were shackled, or electrical
whole-body stunning (10 s, 108 25 mA, 300 Hz, sinusoidal AC) while broilers were placed in a cone.
2
Air pressure stunning with an injection time of 0.5 s and an air pressure of 2 atm while broilers were shackled or placed in a cone.
3
The degree of muscle reactions during stunning and exsanguination was subjectively scored (scores 0, 1, 2, and 3 represent no, mild, moderate,
and severe convulsions, respectively) in 30-s periods, up to 3 min after stunning. For each broiler total convulsion scores were computed by adding
up the scores of the 30-s periods.
4
Wing hemorrhages were scored subjectively: Categories 1, 2, and 3 represent mild, moderate, and severe hemorrhaging, respectively.
5
Breast (dorsal side of P. major and minor) and thigh (medial side) hemorrhages were classified in five categories by a visual grading system.
Category 1 through 5 indicates increasing prevalence of hemorrhages. The score is presented as the mean value of the scores of the 4 observers.
6
Samples are presented to a trained sensory panel and sensory quality traits are assessed by means of line scale.
*P < 0.05.
**P < 0.01.
Significance of differences
Stunning method between means
Electrical
whole-body
Air
pressure
Restraining method
Stunning
method (S)
Restraining
method (R)
Interaction
S R Variable Shackled Cone
Muscle reactions
3
30 s immediately poststun 0.0 0.1 1.6 0.3 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 ** NS NS
Total score 0.2 0.4 1.9 1.7 1.0 1.3 1.2 2.2 ** NS NS
Blood loss, % 2.85 0.61 2.28 0.75 2.68 0.59 2.46 0.85 ** * NS
pH
Breast (Pectoralis major)
20 min postmortem 6.52 0.16 6.39 0.24 6.44 0.23 6.47 0.20 ** NS *
60 min postmortem 6.33 0.17 6.18 0.26 6.22 0.24 6.29 0.21 ** * NS
140 min postmortem 6.13 0.17 6.02 0.21 6.04 0.19 6.11 0.20 ** * NS
1 d postmortem 5.69 0.11 5.71 0.11 5.70 0.11 5.70 0.11 NS NS NS
Thigh (Flexor cruris medialis)
60 min postmortem 6.25 0.12 6.20 0.14 6.25 0.12 6.20 0.14 ** ** *
Pectoral bone fractures, %
Clavicle 71.3 47.5 58.8 60.0 * NS NS
Scapula 5.0 1.3 5.0 1.3 NS NS NS
Coracoid 21.3 2.5 13.8 10.0 ** NS **
Hemorrhage scores
Wing
4
1.3 0.2 1.4 0.5 1.3 0.4 1.3 0.4 NS NS NS
Breast
5
3.3 1.6 1.7 0.7 2.5 1.9 2.5 1.9 ** NS NS
Thigh
5
2.8 1.5 2.0 1.1 2.7 1.5 2.1 1.2 ** ** NS
Color breast (P. major)
L* 58.84 2.40 58.20 2.48 58.53 2.59 58.50 2.33 NS NS NS
a* 6.63 0.83 7.03 0.99 6.94 1.07 6.73 0.77 ** NS NS
b* 19.10 1.62 18.71 1.47 18.85 1.57 18.96 1.54 NS NS NS
Chroma 20.24 2.48 20.02 1.89 20.12 2.28 20.13 2.11 NS NS NS
Hue 70.78 6.66 69.33 10.17 69.72 10.70 70.38 7.03 * NS NS
Cooking loss, % 19.1 1.6 18.9 1.8 19.0 1.7 19.0 1.6 NS NS NS
Sensory quality
6
Tenderness 40.07 13.32 47.46 16.24 46.27 15.87 41.25 14.29 ** * NS
Juiciness 40.14 15.69 36.24 15.60 38.98 16.19 37.40 15.30 NS NS NS
Intensity of taste 37.15 16.63 36.97 16.84 36.13 16.46 38.00 16.94 NS NS NS
and de Vries, 1983; Dickens and Lyon, 1993), but no
differences in ultimate blood loss (after 2 to 3 min) were
observed (Schu tt-Abrahamet al., 1983; Griffiths et al., 1985;
Gregory, 1993). These results indicate that blood loss is
primarily a passive process that is initially accelerated by
cardiac pumping activity. A low incidence of cardiac
arrest is reported for high frequency electrical stunning
(Gregory et al., 1991) and air pressure stunning
(Hillebrand et al., 1996b). Therefore, the stunning methods
may have affected the bleeding rate similarly in our study.
The difference in final blood loss, however, is not
explained by the effect of the stunning methods on heart
function. Raj (1995) speculated that high frequency
electrical stunning facilitates bleedout through the ap-
pearance of a continuous muscular tremor that is also
perceived to be pumping more blood out of the vascular
system. Reports on blood loss after mechanical stunning
of poultry are conflicting. Davis and Cole (1954) found a
poor bleedout in mechanically stunned poultry, whereas
Kotula and Helbacka (1966) reported the highest blood
loss after mechanical stunning of birds.
Blood loss of shackled broilers was slight significantly
higher (P < 0.05) than that of broilers restrained in a cone.
It is possible that the cone physical restrained blocked
LAMBOOIJ ET AL. 604
blood vessels, thereby prohibiting blood from leaving the
neck cut and, which resulted in more residual blood in the
carcass. According to Lyon and Lyon (1994), certain wing
restraint treatments, depending on the area where the
restraint is applied, resulted in more residual blood in the
wing joint area of chilled carcasses.
Muscle pH and Temperature
Air pressure stunning resulted in significantly (P <
0.01) lower pH values in breast and thigh muscles
measured at various times postmortem than electrical
whole-body stunning. Papinaho et al. (1995) showed that
stunning affects early rigor development primarily
through a reduction in perimortemstruggle, and does not
directly affect postmortem biochemistry of the breast
muscle. Several other studies indicate that muscular
activity during stunning and exsanguination has an
accelerating effect on the rate of pH decline (Khan and
Nakamura, 1970; Ngoka and Froning, 1982; Raj et al.,
1990a). It is clear fromthe results of the present study that,
although air pressure stunning results in less than 15% of
the degree of convulsions caused by original captive bolt
stunning, it does cause a higher degree of postmortem
muscle reactions than electrical whole-body stunning. The
muscular activity after air pressure stunning in our study
is sufficiently higher to result in an accelerated postmor-
tem muscle metabolism. At 24 h postmortem, there were
no significant stunning or restraining effects on breast
muscle pH.
At 60 and 140 min postmortem, shackled broilers
exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) lower pHvalues in breast
muscles than birds restrained in a cone. At 20 min and 24 h
postmortem, no differences in breast muscle pH were
measured between shackled broilers and broilers placed
in a cone, although there was a significant (P < 0.05)
interaction between stunning and restraining effects on
breast muscle pH measured at 20 min postmortem.
Electrical whole-body stunning of broilers placedin a cone
resulted in a slightly lower pH value at 20 min
postmortem (6.50) than whole-body stunning of shackled
broilers (6.54). Air pressure stunning of broilers placed in
a cone resulted in a higher pHvalue at that moment (6.44)
than air pressure stunning of shackled broilers (6.35). The
subjective scoring system used in the present study
revealed no difference in the degree of muscle activity
between the restraining methods. However, it is possible
that cone-restraint did reduce the mild muscle reactions
observed after air pressure, but that this minor reduction
could not be detected with the coarse scoring system. In
that case, the slightly higher muscle activity of shackled
broilers explains the slightly accelerated pH decline after
this restraining treatment. The interaction between stun-
ning and restraining effects in breast muscle pH at 20 min
postmortem is not important, as only very few birds
convulsed after electrical whole-body stunning.
In contrast to breast muscle pH, thigh muscle pH of
shackled broilers was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than
that of broilers placed in a cone. The cone reduces muscle
reactions such as wing flapping, which affect the rate of
pH decline in the breast muscle. Restraint in the cone
allows some movement of the legs, more so than
shackling, which this may explain the accelerated pH
decline in thigh muscles of broilers restrained in a cone.
There was also an interaction between stunning and
restraining in the pHof thigh muscles measured at 60 min
postmortem. This interaction can be ignored for the same
reason as the interaction of stunning and restraining
effects for breast muscle pH.
Neither stunning nor restraining methods resulted in
differences in breast or thigh muscle temperature. Aver-
age breast muscle temperatures at 20, 60, and 140 min, and
24 h postmortemwere, on average 39.9 1.2 C, 22.3 2.4 C,
10.6 1.4 C, and 5.9 1.2 C, respectively. Thigh muscle
temperature at 60 min postmortemwas, on average, 10.3
1.2 C.
Pectoral Bone Fractures
Broken pectoral bones are a major concern to the
poultry industry, not only because such fractures usually
associated with hemorrhaging in the breast muscle, but
also because fractures in these bones could lead to
fragments of bones being attached to the breast meat at
portioning. Pectoral bones are the bones that are most
often damaged by electrical stunning (Gregory and
Wilkins, 1990). Air pressure stunning significantly
reduced the prevalence of broken clavicles (P < 0.05) and
coracoids (P < 0.01) compared to electrical whole-body
stunning. Stunning treatment had no effect on the number
of broken scapula; both stunning methods resulted in
broken scapula in no more than 5% of the birds.
There was a significant (P < 0.01) interaction between
stunning and restraining effect on the prevalence of
broken coracoids. Electrical whole-body stunning caused
similar numbers of broken coracoids in shackled broilers
and broilers restrained in a cone (23 and 20%, respective-
ly). Air pressure stunning of broilers placed in a cone
reduced the number of broken coracoids compared to air
pressure stunning of shackled broilers (0 vs 5%), although
the prevalence of broken coracoids was low after air
pressure stunning regardless of the restraining method.
The prevalence of broken pectoral bones, in particular
of the clavicle, is rather high in the present study. Studies
on gas killing of broilers (Raj et al., 1990b, 1992) reported
fewer pectoral bone fractures in control broilers stunned
with a method similar to the electrical stunning proce-
dure; however, these broilers were not processed under
commercial or automated experimental conditions as in
our study.
Hemorrhaging
Hemorrhaging results in a decrease in quantity (trim-
ming) and quality of poultry products, and hence causes
economical losses to the poultry industry. Therefore
hemorrhaging, in particular of the valuable breast meat, is
considered a major quality defect. Hemorrhages can be
STUN-RESTRAIN EFFECTS ON BROILER MEAT QUALITY 605
induced by stunning, however, the underlying mechan-
ism is considered to be multifactorial (Kranen et al., 1996).
The two stunning methods used in this study did not
result in differences in the degree of wing hemorrhaging.
It is thought that wing vein hemorrhaging is caused by the
rupture of engorged blood vessels in the wings during
mechanical plucking. Electrical stunning with currents
that induce cardiac arrest in the majority of the broilers are
associated with a high incidence of red wing tips (Gregory
and Wilkins, 1989a). Red wing tips are explained by
inadequately bleeding of the birds after cardiac arrest, and
wings of killed, instead of stunned, birds hanging low,
results in stagnation of blood in the wing veins. Because
both stunning methods used in the present study resulted
in a low incidence of cardiac arrest (Gregory et al., 1991;
Hillebrand et al., 1996b), differences in wing hemorrhag-
ing as a result of heart failure were not expected. A higher
incidence of wing damage after gas stunning, compared to
electrical stunning, has been observed in a study of Raj et
al. (1992). Wing damage in that study was due to the
severe convulsions caused by gaseous stunning. Although
air pressure stunning resulted in a higher degree of
muscle activity than electrical stunning in our study,
severe wing flapping was not observed after this stunning
method. Apparently, the mild muscle reactions caused by
air pressure stunning did not result in wing hemorrhag-
ing. Wing hemorrhaging scores were not affected by the
restraining methods used in the present study, although
wing flapping at hanging has been associated with the
occurrence of red wing tips (Gregory et al., 1989). The
individual application of stunning and restraining treat-
ments may have prevented this type of wing damage in
the present study.
Air pressure stunning resulted in significantly (P <
0.01) lower breast and thigh muscle hemorrhaging than
electrical whole-body stunning. These results are in
agreement with the results of a previous study
(Hillebrand et al., 1996a) in which an original captive bolt
stunning was compared with electrical stunning. When
pigs were stunned by water jet, this resulted in less
hemorrhages in the shoulder than electrical stunning
(Lambooy and Schatzmann, 1994). Clonic convulsions
observed after the mechanical stunning methods were
generated by the brain or spinal cord and may be milder,
and hence cause less muscle hemorrhaging, than the tonic
muscle contractions induced by direct stimulation during
electrical whole-body stunning. Captive bolt stunning
using air pressure may largely prevent the occurrence of
clonic convulsions and reduces the incidence of muscle
hemorrhages as well.
The method of restraint did not affect breast muscle
hemorrhaging. The incidence of thigh muscle hemorrhag-
ing, on the other hand, was significantly (P < 0.01) reduced
when broilers were restrained in a cone compared to
shackling. In electrically stunned pigs, an effect of the
restraining method on the severity of hemorrhages was
observed in the shoulder (Lambooy et al., 1992). Leet et al.
(1977) reported supercontracted muscle fibers in a
splashed region of muscles from electrically stunned
lambs. Hemorrhages in muscle tissue occurring upon
electrical stunning are thought to be due to the force
exerted by contractions of antagonistic muscles, resulting
in rupture of intramuscular blood vessels. The force
experienced during electrical stunning probably depends
on the posture or restraining method of the slaughter
animals. Shackling involves hanging live birds upside
down, suspended by their feet, and the body weight of the
broilers is carried by the restrained legs. Although air
pressure stunning probably caused milder muscle con-
tractions, and thereby a lower incidence of muscle
hemorrhaging, the results indicate that shackling in-
creases the incidence of thigh hemorrhaging not only after
electrical stunning, but also after air pressure stunning as
well. Average thigh hemorrhaging scores of electrical
whole-body stunnedbroilers while shackled or placed in a
cone were 3.2 1.3 and 2.4 1.3, respectively, and of air
pressure stunned broilers while shackled or placed in a
cone were 2.1 1.1 and 1.8 1.0, respectively. These data
indicate that the electrical water bath stunning of broilers
has the most detrimental effect with respect to muscle
hemorrhaging using the stunning conditions described in
this experiment. Moreover, shackling is potentially pain-
ful and the welfare of poultry at shackling may be
compromised (Sparrey and Kettlewell, 1994).
Apoor bleedout can significantly increase hemorrhagic
conditions in broilers (Gregory and Wilkins, 1989b). In the
present study, however, the adverse effect of ineffective
bleeding was not observed. The stunning with air
pressure and restraining in a cone resulted in the lowest
blood loss and resulted also in the lowest incidence of
hemorrhaging. It is possible that birds subjected to these
stunning and restraining methods retain a higher percen-
tage of blood in the internal organs rather than in skeletal
muscles (Kotula et al., 1957).
Color
Color values of thigh muscles are not presented in
Table 1, as they were not significantly affected by stunning
or restraining treatments. Color L*, a*, and b* values of
thigh muscles, I. cranialis, and F. cruris medialis, were on
average 49.66 2.46, 7.26 1.27, 16.38 1.55, 50.28 2.47,
4.36 1.39, 15.50 1.41, respectively.
Breast muscle color values were affected by stunning,
but not by restraining method. Air pressure stunning
resulted in slightly, though significantly (P < 0.01) higher
color a* values (more red) and significantly (P < 0.05)
lower Hue (tint) than electrical whole-body stunning. A
higher a* value of breast muscles of air pressure stunned
broilers can be the result of the poorer bleedout in this
group.
Cooking Loss
The stunning and restraining treatments did not result
in differences in cooking losses. In a study by Raj et al.
(1990a), it was observed that anoxia gaseous stunning of
LAMBOOIJ ET AL. 606
broilers resulted in an accelerated glycolysis, which did
not affect the cooking loss comparedto electrical stunning.
Sensory Quality
A significant difference in perceived sensory tender-
ness for different stunning treatments and also for
different restraining treatments was detected. Testing the
effect of restraining method resulted in a significant
difference between the tenderness ratings. The filets from
shackled birds were judged to be more tender than the
filets fromcone-restrained birds. With respect to the effect
of stunning method, the filets of air pressure stunnedbirds
was judged more tender than the meat from electrically
stunned birds. Neither juiciness nor intensity of taste were
affected.
In comparison with electrical whole-body stunning, air
pressure stunning resulted in lower blood loss without
adversely affecting muscle hemorrhaging. The incidences
of hemorrhaging and pectoral bone fractures were
reduced after air pressure stunning. Restraining in a cone,
compared to shackling, further reduced thigh muscle
hemorrhaging. Muscle glycolysis was accelerated after air
pressure stunning, which resulted in more tender breast
meat than electrical whole-body stunning. Restraining
broilers in a cone resulted in a slightly slower pH decline
than shackling, and produced less tender breast meat. Air
pressure stunning has benefits over electrical whole-body
stunning; however, more research is needed to develop a
suitable stunning and restraining device.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was carried out with funds from the
European Union (AIR3-CT92-0885). The authors wish to
thank B. Hulsegge, G. Merkus, T. van Dijk, C. van
Cruijningen, H. Goedhart, H. Steunenberg, G. Vonder,
W. Buist, B. Engel, and N. van Voorst for their technical,
laboratory or statistical assistance.
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