From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2010:

CO2 isn’t humane

My letter is a response to “Controlled
atmosphere stunning moves ahead,” October 2010.
I disagree with the view set forth in
this article by the proponents of carbon dioxide
gassing that CO2 is a humane method of killing
chickens. It is most likely less cruel than the
conventional method of dragging conscious birds
through electrically-charged saltwater to
paralyze their muscles in order to facilitate
feather removal after they are dead, and to
immobilize the birds on the slaughter line, but
anything is likely to be better than being
riddled with electric shocks.
Evidence shows that birds, like mammals,
have chemical receptors in their lungs that are
acutely sensitive to CO2, with the result that
subjection to this toxic gas induces pain,
panic, suffocation and breathlessness (dyspnea)
in those who inhale it.
By contrast, chickens and other birds do
not have the chemical receptors in their lungs to
detect inert gases such as argon and nitrogen,
which is why animal welfare proponents,
including scientists like Dr. Mohan Raj, have
fought for decades to get poultry slaughter
plants to switch from electrical “stunning” to
the stun/kill method of inducing permanent
unconsciousness in poultry by means of
nitrogen/argon.
Behavioral evidence supports the
biological evidence. Whereas chickens subjected
to CO2 show clear signs of distress, shaking
their heads and stretching their necks to
breathe, chickens in the presence of argon or
nitrogen exhibit no comparable signs of suffering.
Poultry companies sincerely wishing to
reduce the suffering of their birds to a minimum
should bypass CO2 and invest in inert gas
systems. Then their proposed “humane” labels
will have at least a semblance of truth.
–Karen Davis, PhD.
President
United Poultry Concerns
12325 Seaside Road
P.O. Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405
Phone: 757-678-7875
<Karen@upc-online.org>
<www.upc-online.org>

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