Method and system for gas stunning of poultry for slaughter

• Main Authors: OVESEN, HENRIK, LINDHOLST, SVEND, ZANOTTI, MASSIMO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 20.05.2015
• Subjects: BUTCHERING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH; SLAUGHTERING

Gas stunning of poultry for slaughter arriving at the poultry slaughterhouse in transport crates, comprises effecting gas stunning of the animals while they are still in transport crates; and adjusting the influence of gas for stunning the animals by shortening or prolonging the conveying time and/or the conveying route of the transport crates through the stunning chamber. Gas stunning of poultry for slaughter arriving at the poultry slaughterhouse in transport crates (6), comprises effecting gas stunning of the animals while they are still in transport crates, where the crates comprising the animals are conveyed successively by conveyors (12, 18, 20) through a stunning chamber (8); and adjusting the influence of gas for stunning the animals by shortening or prolonging the conveying time and/or the conveying route of the transport crates through the stunning chamber. An independent claim is also included for a system for gas stunning of poultry for slaughter comprising a horizontal conveyor arranged for receiving and introducing transport crates comprising poultry for slaughter to a gas-filled stunning chamber in which a downwards running conveyor is arranged, which is arranged for successively conveying transport crates downwards in the stunning chamber, and an upwards running conveyor arranged for successively conveying the transport crates upwards and out of the stunning chamber. The downwards and upwards running conveyors are each constituted by vertical conveyors, each comprising mutually interacting endless chain conveyors with carrying mechanism arranged for supporting opposite sides of the transport crates for downwards and upwards conveying in the stunning chamber, respectively. Between the downwards and upwards running conveyors, there is a horizontal conveyor arranged for providing the horizontal conveying of the transport crates through the stunning chamber, which latter conveyor is further adapted as an entity for being lifted and lowered respectively between levels with varying gas concentrations in the stunning chamber.