Tool-based euthanasia methods for broiler chicks: Evaluating welfare outcomes of Iris and Kelly scissors.

ABSTRACT: The most common euthanasia method for poultry is manual cervical dislocation (CD), but it is challenging to consistently perform in young chicks due to their small body size. Tool-assisted CD may offer an alternative. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of two tool-assisted CD methods with Iris (ICD) and Kelly (KCD) scissors compared to manual CD in 1-day-old (1DOA) and 7-day-old (7DOA) broiler chicks. Chicks were randomly and equally allocated to one of three euthanasia treatments: CD (n=20 1DOA, n=20 7DOA), ICD (n=20 1DOA, n=20 7DOA), and KCD (n=20 1DOA, n=20 7DOA). All euthanasia methods effectively rendered chicks insensible, followed by respiratory and cardiac arrest on the first attempt, with cardiac cessation occurring within 52 to 253 sec. Chicks euthanized with CD achieved

SUBMITTER: Gore A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12666709 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature