[Field report from large-scale killing of ducks].

Abstract

An outbreak of avian influenza in August 2007 resulted in the culling of hundreds of thousands of Peking ducks. An earlier tutorial had shown that whole house gassing with carbon dioxide to kill waterfowl has to be refused because of interference with animal welfare. Culling by electrocution is a reliable method that fulfils animal welfare requirements. Stationary electrocution lines for slaughtering should be preferred if suitable for the killing of the birds. Mobile electrocution lines (MET) are a good alternative or supplementation with a capacity of circa 2,500 animals per hour. MET are suitable for killing Peking ducks with a weight of approximately 500 g. At least two veterinarians are required per MET for the supervision of animal welfare during culling. When following German animal welfare laws, killing in mobile gas containers filled with carbon dioxide is an alternative with a capacity comparable to that of MET. The problem of looking into the containers for controlled stunning and killing can be solved by installing observation windows. Manpower requirements are comparable to those of MET, while requirements for material and transportation are unlikely higher. This method is suitable for birds which are too small to be killed by electrocution.