Description of tissue profiles, thalamic location, and recommended penetrating captive bolt placement in cadaver heads from domesticated 24- to 48-mo-old male yaks ().

Yaks are a domesticated species utilized for meat, fiber, and transportation in many countries. In the United States, yak meat is growing in popularity due to its classification as a "healthy" meat. Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is an approved method of preslaughter stunning and euthanasia for cattle.

Evaluation of the capacity and effective angle of thalamic damage for 2 commercially available captive bolt tool types on cadaver heads from sows >200 kg body weight.

This study evaluated the ability of 2 penetrating captive bolt (PCB) types (PISTOL, INLINE) to reach and disrupt the thalamus when applied in 2 placements (FRONTAL, BEHIND EAR) to chilled cadaver heads (N = 60) from sows >200 kg. Heads were randomly distributed across 6 treatments (n = 10): FRONTAL-INLINE, FRONTAL-PISTOL, FRONTAL-NO SHOT, BEHIND EAR-INLINE, BEHIND EAR-PISTOL, and BEHIND EAR-NO SHOT. The FRONTAL shot was placed 3.

Quantification of cooling effects on basic tissue measurements and exposed cross-sectional brain area of cadaver heads from Holstein cows > 30 mo of age.

Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is the primary method of preslaughter stunning for cattle and is also used for on-farm euthanasia. The objective of this study was to quantify the impact of cooling on the soft tissue thickness, cranial thickness, total tissue thickness, and cross-sectional brain area of cadaver heads collected from mature (> 30 mo of age) dairy cows following the application of a PCB stun in a frontal placement. Hide-on cadaver heads were obtained from culled dairy cows ( = 37) stunned in a frontal location using a handheld PCB device (Jarvis Model PAS-Type C 0.

Relationship of tissue dimensions and three captive bolt application sites on cadaver heads from mature swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) <200 kg body weight.

Penetrating captive bolt (PCB) is a common method of euthanasia for swine but has not been evaluated for mature swine < 200 kg body weight (BW). The objectives were to determine tissue depth, brain contact plane, and visible brain tissue damage (brain damage[BD]) for the common FRONTAL (F) and alternative TEMPORAL (T) and BEHIND EAR (BE) placements for PCB use on sows and boars weighing < 200 kg. Cadaver heads were obtained from 30 sows and 30 boars (estimated BW, mean ± SD; sows: 165.

Evaluation of tissue depth, captive bolt penetration force and energy, and potential for bolt-thalamus contact in cadaver heads from physically castrated market barrows and immunocastrated boars.

The main objective of this study was to describe tissue thicknesses of cadaver heads from physically castrated market barrows (PC MARKET BARROWS) and immunocastrated boars (IC BOARS) at the frontal penetrating captive bolt (PCB) placement. Other objectives were to describe differences in bolt force and energy requirements to penetrate and describe potential for bolt-thalamus contact. Forty-four heads were obtained from PC MARKET BARROWS ( = 22) and IC BOARS ( = 22) of similar age and size that were rendered insensible with CO.

Broken tails in Holstein dairy cattle: A cross-sectional study.

Dairy cows are regularly handled when moved to the milking parlor and during other routine procedures. Low-stress handling methods are important in avoiding negative welfare states for dairy cattle. Tail twisting is used by some handlers to prompt cattle movement.

Assessment of United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service Humane Handling Enforcement Actions: 2018-2020.

Federally inspected slaughter establishments in the United States must adhere to the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act and regulations that enforce it. Failure to comply with this law results in a Humane Handling Enforcement Action () issued by the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service (). The objective of this study was to systematically analyze and describe HHEAs issued between 2018 and 2020.

History and best practices of captive bolt euthanasia for swine.

The definition of animal welfare includes how an animal dies. As such, euthanasia is intrinsically linked to animal welfare, and ensuring a good death through effective, safe, and validated practices is a critical piece of promoting positive animal welfare. The objective of this review is to provide a better understanding of the literature on the euthanasia of swine via penetrating captive bolt () and nonpenetrating captive bolt (), as well as a history of captive bolt use, and indicators of sensibility and insensibility.

To move or not to move while on campus: Examining the influence of others.

Objective: To examine the influence of dynamic and trending descriptive norms on increasing physical activity and decreasing the sedentary behaviors of university students while on campus.

Participants: One-hundred fifty-six university students from a Canadian university completed this study.

Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of four online messages containing normative information about the on-campus behavior of university students.

Relationship of tissue dimensions and three captive bolt placements on cadaver heads from mature swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) > 200 kg body weight.

Three penetrating captive bolt (PCB) placements were tested on cadaver heads from swine with estimated body weight (BW) >200 kg (sows = 232.9 ± 4.1 kg; boars = 229.

Quantification of cooling effects on basic tissue measurements and exposed cross-sectional brain area of cadaver heads from market pigs.

The objective of this project was to determine the impact of cooling on the soft tissue thickness, cranial thickness, and cross-sectional brain area of cadaver heads from market pigs. Documenting the effect of cooling on tissue dimensions of swine heads is valuable and important for future investigations of physical stunning and euthanasia methods that use cadaver heads. Scalded and dehaired cadaver heads with intact jowls were sourced from market pigs stunned with CO gas.

Relationship of captive bolt stunning location with basic tissue measurements and exposed cross-sectional brain area in cadaver heads from market pigs.

The objective of this study was to contrast the soft tissue thickness, cranial thickness, total tissue thickness, cross-sectional brain area, and bolt-brain contact from the common frontal application of captive bolt euthanasia with the alternative location behind the ear in cadaver swine heads. Twenty-three cadaver heads from pigs that were approximately 136 kg and 6 mo of age were collected from a regional slaughter establishment following CO stunning and assigned to either the FRONTAL ( = 11) or the CAUDAL TO PINNA ( = 12) application of the captive bolt. The soft tissue thickness was different ( < 0.