Given the “high likelihood” that disabled and downer animals will be condemned at slaughter in this era of BSE, producers are facing more euthanasia decisions on their farms, says an animal care specialist.
Ernie Olfert, director of the Animal Resources Centre at the University of Saskatchewan, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has already taken steps to ban all downer animals from the human food chain.
He told producers attending a one-day Stockperson’s School organized by the Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan Inc. that cattle with advanced cancer eye are also good candidates. The painful and stress-inducing disease will likely result in rejection at the slaughter plant and Olfert said two Alberta producers were recently convicted of cruelty to animals for leaving cases untreated.
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Broken legs or injuries that leave the animal’s abdominal contents exposed could also lead to euthanasia.
“There will always be judgment calls.”
Olfert said producers who make that call must choose the most humane killing method that is practical.
“The speed with which the animal is rendered unconscious is one of the key factors in deciding whether a method is humane,” he said.
The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association’s stance is that injecting concentrated barbiturates is the most compassionate method for killing pets. Olfert said it is also effective for farm animals, but not always practical because it has to be delivered by a veterinarian.
Shooting an animal is the most common form of farm euthanasia. Olfert recommended a .22 gauge rifle with .22 long rifle mushroom bullets, or a .223 gauge rifle with .223 core shot bullets.
Guns should not be used when the brain will be needed for examination, such as in suspected cases of BSE or chronic wasting disease.
Olfert said it is important that producers ensure the animal is dead before leaving it or disposing of the carcass.
