Imlan Jurhamid Columbres, Kaka Ubedullah, Goh Yong-Meng, Idrus Zulkifli, Awad Elmutaz Atta, Abubakar Ahmed Abubakar, Ahmad Tanbir, Nizamuddin Hassan N Quaza, Sazili Awis Qurni
Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Food Security, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of Southern Mindanao, Cotabato 9407, Philippines.
Animals (Basel). 2020 Mar 30;10(4):579. doi: 10.3390/ani10040579.
The sharpness of the knife used for slaughter is of the utmost importance from an animal welfare perspective. The quantification of knife sharpness is almost impossible in abattoirs. The sharpness of the knife blade used to slaughter an animal, as well as its effects on animals' pain and stress levels, is an important area of investigation that needs to be addressed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of knife sharpness on blood biochemical parameters, plasma catecholamines, and electroencephalographic (EEG) responses. Twenty Brahman crossbred steers were either subjected to slaughter with a sharp knife (n = 10) or a commercial sharp knife (n = 10); knife sharpness was measured with the ANAGO sharpness tester. There was significant increase in adrenaline ( < 0.0001), glucose ( = 0.0167), creatinine kinase ( = 0.0123) and lactate dehydrogenase ( = 0.0151) at post-slaughter compared to pre-slaughter in commercial sharp knife group than in thesharp knife group. A significant increase was observed in the median frequency ( < 0.0001) and total power ( < 0.0001) of the EEG, the parameters for pain and stress, in the animals slaughtered with the commercial sharp knife than those slaughtered with the sharp knife. Thus, EEG results also supported the hormonal and biochemical results. From the results, it is concluded that animals slaughtered with a sharp knife experienced the least amount of pain and stress compared to those slaughtered with a commercial sharp knife.
从动物福利的角度来看，用于屠宰的刀具的锋利程度至关重要。在屠宰场几乎不可能对刀具的锋利程度进行量化。用于屠宰动物的刀刃的锋利程度及其对动物疼痛和应激水平的影响，是一个需要解决的重要研究领域。本研究的目的是评估刀具锋利程度对血液生化参数、血浆儿茶酚胺和脑电图（EEG）反应的影响。20头婆罗门杂交阉牛分别用锋利的刀（n = 10）或商用锋利的刀（n = 10）进行屠宰；用ANAGO锋利度测试仪测量刀具的锋利程度。与锋利刀组相比，商用锋利刀组屠宰后肾上腺素（< 0.0001）、葡萄糖（= 0.0167）、肌酸激酶（= 0.0123）和乳酸脱氢酶（= 0.0151）的含量显著增加。与用锋利刀屠宰的动物相比，用商用锋利刀屠宰的动物脑电图的中值频率（< 0.0001）和总功率（< 0.0001）显著增加，这两个参数代表疼痛和应激。因此，脑电图结果也支持了激素和生化结果。从结果可以得出结论，与用商用锋利刀屠宰的动物相比，用锋利刀屠宰的动物经历的疼痛和应激最少。
