Abstract:
Poultry is stunned while still caged and on the vehicle that carries it to a processing plant, by exposing it to an atmosphere of stunning gas applied while the vehicle is inside an enclosure.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to methods and apparatus useful for stunning poultry, by placing them in an atmosphere that when breathed renders them progressively lethargic and then unconscious or dead.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Commercial production of poultry (by which is meant chicken and turkey) products destined for sale for consumption customarily is carried out in processing plants. Presently, in about 95% of current processing plants, poultry is brought in by truck in cages from which the poultry is unloaded live by hand. The birds are then hung upside-down on a conveyorized shackle line and their heads are dragged through a brine or water bath. They are then stunned using high voltage electricity just prior to being slaughtered.  
         [0003]     Hanging the birds while they are still fully awake can be very troublesome, especially with heavier birds such as tom turkeys which can weigh 40 pounds or more, leading to high labor costs and worker injuries. It is not unusual for the birds to flap their wings, causing joint damage and blood clots in the birds, thus degrading the overall quality of the meat and reducing the yield.  
         [0004]     Including in the processing regimen a step in which the poultry is stunned with gas presents the advantage that the birds are less likely to engage in extensive movement, thereby reducing the burden to the worker and reducing the risk of damage to the bird. Poultry processors have studied the relative costs of their current methods versus gas stunning and have documented that gas stunning can prevent on the order of $700,000. per shift per year in lost product revenues for a typical turkey processor. Since the majority of processors employ two shifts per day, gas stunning can save on the order of $1.4 million per year.  
         [0005]     However, current gas stunning systems are complicated and expensive, with upfront installation costs of 2 to 3 million dollars per line. The installation costs include costs of special cages, mechanized cage handling systems, and additional plant space which usually must be added to the current buildings of the processor.  
         [0006]     Thus, there is a need for effective gas stunning techniques, without incurring the complexity and expense of current gas stunning methods and apparatus.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     One aspect of the present invention is a method for stunning poultry, to bring the poultry into a desired state selected from the group consisting of lethargy, unconsciousness, or death, comprising  
         [0008]     (A) providing an enclosure having a gas impermeable top, gas impermeable sides joined to the gas impermeable top, a gas impermeable front panel, a gas impermeable rear panel, an entrance in the front panel and an exit in the rear panel, the entrance and exit defining a passageway through the enclosure through which a vehicle on the ground can pass, and a gas impermeable upper plate within the enclosure located below the top of the enclosure, and wherein the front and rear panels, the top and each side define lateral spaces within the enclosure on each side of the passageway,  
         [0009]     (B) positioning a vehicle having a bottom plate and carrying poultry in two or more ranks of cages whose walls are permeable to the atmosphere outside the cage walls within the enclosure passageway so that at least one rank of cages is inside the enclosure,  
         [0010]     (C) establishing an atmosphere flow circuit from the space above the upper plate into one lateral space, through a selected rank or ranks of said cages, into the other lateral space, and then into the space above said upper plate,  
         [0011]     (D) injecting gas into the atmosphere within said circuit to impart to said atmosphere a composition which brings poultry breathing it to said desired state, and circulating said atmosphere through said circuit at least until the poultry in said rank or ranks of cages is brought into said state,  
         [0012]     (E) exhausting the atmosphere formed in step (D) from said circuit and feeding ambient air into the atmosphere in said circuit,  
         [0013]     (F) moving the vehicle with respect to the enclosure to remove said selected rank or ranks of cages from said circuit and to place another selected rank or ranks of cages being carried by said vehicle into said circuit, and  
         [0014]     (G) repeating steps (C) through (F) until the poultry in all cages on said vehicle has been treated by steps (C), (D) and (E).  
         [0015]     Another aspect of the present invention is apparatus useful for carrying out the aforementioned stunning of poultry, comprising  
         [0016]     (A) an enclosure having a gas impermeable top, gas impermeable sides joined to the gas impermeable top, a gas impermeable front panel, a gas impermeable rear panel, an entrance in the front panel and an exit in the rear panel, the entrance and exit defining a passageway through the enclosure through which a vehicle on the ground can pass, the front and rear panels, the top and each side defining lateral spaces within the enclosure on each side of the passageway, and a gas impermeable upper plate within the enclosure located below the top of the enclosure,  
         [0017]     (B) an impeller for circulating an atmosphere through a flow circuit extending from the space above the upper plate into one lateral space, through a selected rank or selected adjacent ranks of cages on a vehicle positioned in said passageway, into the other lateral space, and then into the space above said upper plate,  
         [0018]     (C) an injector for injecting gas into the atmosphere within said circuit, and  
         [0019]     (D) apparatus for exhausting the atmosphere within said circuit into the ambient air and feeding ambient air into the atmosphere in said circuit.  
         [0020]     As used herein, a “rank” of cages means a cage or cages lying in a vertical plane that extends from one lateral side of the enclosure described herein to the other lateral side. Thus, the term “rank” of cages includes without limitation one cage, or two or more cages stacked vertically, or two or more vertical stacks of cages placed side by side (whether touching each other or not).  
         [0021]     The terms “stunning” and “stun” are used herein to mean bringing poultry into a desired state of lethargy, unconsciousness or death. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view from the outside of apparatus useful in practicing the invention.  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention, taken along the line  2 ′- 2 ″ in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a top view of apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0025]     Referring first to  FIG. 1 , apparatus useful in the practice of this invention includes enclosure  1  which has top  2  and sides  3  and  4 . Top  2  and sides  3  and  4  are gas impermeable and may be formed of sheet metal or other gas impermeable material. Sides  3  and  4  should be attached to top  2  in any manner that does not permit gas to flow through the joints between top  2  and each of sides  3  and  4 .  
         [0026]     Enclosure  1  also includes front panel  5  in which is formed entrance  6 , and rear panel  7  in which is formed exit  8 . Preferably, entrance  6  and exit  8  lie along a line such that a vehicle can pass into entrance  6 , through the interior of enclosure  1 , and out exit  8 , all along the same straight line. Thus, a passageway is formed by the vertical and horizontal edges in panels  5  and  7  that define entrance  6  and exit  8 . The enclosure should also be wide enough to enclose lateral spaces  21  and  22  that are defined by sides  3  and  4  (respectively) and top  2  and front and rear panels  5  and  7 . In overall dimensions, it is preferred to make the passageway through enclosure  1  high enough and wide enough that a vehicle such as a flatbed truck carrying stacked poultry cages can pass through it.  
         [0027]     Enclosure  1  is supported in any of a number of possible ways. One support comprises a set of wheels  9 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , which have the advantage that they enable enclosure  1  to be easily moved in service, and into and out of service, as desired by the operator. Other ways to support enclosure  1  so that it is movable include mounting it on a set of rails, or suspending it from a set of rails. Alternatively, enclosure  1  can be suspended from overhead structure such as a gantry.  
         [0028]     As seen in  FIG. 2 , upper plate  10  is provided within enclosure  1 . It is located over the passageway within enclosure  1  that is occupied by a vehicle  11  when a vehicle (or part of a vehicle) is present in the enclosure  1 . Upper plate  10  preferably has a width 90% to 120% of the width of the passageway (that is, the distance across entrance  6  and exit  8 ) and preferably extends in length (that is, in the direction parallel to a line from the entrance of the enclosure to the exit) that is 50% to 100% of the length of the passageway. Upper plate  10  is gas-impermeable and may be constructed of sheet metal. Upper plate  10  is located below top surface  2  of the enclosure, thereby defining space  20 , which is described further below. Upper plate  10  is located above the uppermost poultry cage on a vehicle  11  when a vehicle is in the passageway of enclosure  1 , and close enough to the uppermost poultry cage to provide circulation of gaseous atmosphere through the cages  13  as described below. The circulation and the resulting stunning of the poultry are more effective as upper plate  10  is closer to the uppermost poultry cage. Upper plate  10  can be fixed in position, or it can be held by structure which permits the height of upper plate  10  to be adjusted to accommodate the height of the uppermost poultry cage on any given vehicle that has entered the enclosure  1 .  
         [0029]     Impeller  15  is located within enclosure  1 . As shown, impeller  15  can be situated on top of upper plate  10 , but impeller can be situated in either of the lateral spaces. Impeller  15  can be a fan of conventional construction. It is powered by drive  16 , which can represent a source of electrical power for an electric motor that rotates fan  15 , or which can represent an electric motor that turns a shaft which is connected by a belt to the shaft of fan  15 . The axis of gas flow through impeller  15  is oriented so that impeller  15  drives gaseous atmosphere through a flow circuit that runs from space  20 , into lateral space  21 , then through a rank of cages or through several (preferably 2 to 4) ranks of cages adjacent to one another (i.e. side-by-side when seen from one side of the vehicle), into lateral space  22 , then again into space  20 . The arrows in  FIG. 2  illustrate such a flow circuit.  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  illustrates enclosure  1  when such a vehicle  11  carrying cages  13  is in the aforementioned passageway. Vehicle  11  can be any carrier that conforms to the description given herein, such as a trailer on wheels or a skid on wheels or rails, but the invention will be described with reference to a flatbed trailer. Indeed, a significant advantage of the present invention is that it can be practiced with trucks carrying caged poultry arriving from the poultry farm at which the poultry was caged and then placed onto the trucks, without requiring any unloading step prior to the stunning or asphyxiation of the birds.  
         [0031]     Vehicle  11  preferably includes a bottom plate  12  which is preferably gas-impermeable. Cages  13  either directly rest on the bottom of the vehicle or are stacked onto cages that directly rest on the bottom of the vehicle. Preferably, to maximize efficient processing of larger numbers of poultry, each rank of cages is arrayed across the full width of the vehicle. However, fewer cages  13  than those shown in  FIG. 2  can be processed in the practice of the invention on a given vehicle-load of cages.  
         [0032]     The cages  13  are of any design that can hold a chicken or turkey and that permits gaseous atmosphere to pass from outside the cage into and through the cage. Preferably, the tops, bottoms and sides of the cages are planar, to facilitate stacking them onto a vehicle such as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0033]     Preferably, a barrier is provided that retards loss of the atmosphere within the enclosure to the air outside the enclosure, downwardly past the bottom edges of the sides  3 ,  4  and of the front and rear panels  5  and  7 . Such a barrier can be provided by constructing the enclosure so that the lateral spaces  21  and  22  are bounded on the bottom by rigid or flexible structure  31  and  32  that closes off the bottom of each lateral space and terminates at or near the vertical edges of the entrance  6  and exit  8 .  
         [0034]     Enclosure  1  also includes injector  17  which injects into the atmosphere that is to circulate within the fluid flow circuit, a gaseous component that renders the atmosphere capable of rendering the poultry lethargic, and that preferably is capable of rendering the poultry unconscious or dead (when breathed in sufficient concentration for a sufficient period of time) if that is the desired effect on the poultry. If the desired effect on the poultry is to be caused by a combination of more than one component, there can be one injector that injects a mixture of the components, or there can be a separate injector for each of the components that make up the stunning atmosphere. The injector  17  (or the several injectors, if necessary) preferably inject into space  20  at a point upstream of impeller  15 . Each injector is connected to a source of the component being injected (such as a storage tank) by a suitable feed line equipped with flow control valving.  
         [0035]     Preferably, a probe  18  is provided that measures the composition of the atmosphere within enclosure  1 , or at least measures the concentration within that atmosphere of the component or components that are to have the desired effect (i.e., lethargy, unconsciousness, or death) on the poultry. Probe  18  is connected by conventional wiring to suitable electronic apparatus  24  by which an operator or, preferably, an automated controller, can respond to the measurement taken by the probe and adjust as necessary the composition of the circulating atmosphere by, for instance, turning on the flow of the component through the injector, turning off that flow through the injector, adjusting the feed rate at which the component is injected into the enclosure, and/or adjusting the concentration of the component in the stream that is injected into the enclosure. More preferably, the feeding of a component or components via the injector is automatically governed in response to measurements taken by probe  18  of the concentration of the component. Controller and associated equipment that perform the desired function, i.e. determining the concentration of the component, and determining (as a function of the concentration of the component in the flow circuit and of the desired concentration in the flow circuit) whether to adjust the flow of the component through the injector, when to turn on and shut off that flow, and the like, is familiar to people knowledgeable in the field of controlling gas atmospheres, and is commercially available.  
         [0036]     Enclosure  1  also includes apparatus with which the atmosphere within the flow circuit can be exhausted from the enclosure after poultry has reached the desired state of being rendered lethargic, unconscious or dead, and with which fresh air can be fed into the enclosure. Suitable apparatus includes an exhaust vent  26 , which can be opened or closed as desired by the operator, extending from the interior of the enclosure to the air outside the enclosure, through which atmosphere within the enclosure can be vented, and feed vent  27  through which ambient air can be drawn into the enclosure. The functions of vents  26  and  27  can if desired be carried out by two separate vents or by one vent that performs both functions.  
         [0037]     An optional but preferred additional feature present in enclosure is distributor  14 , which is a device through which circulating atmosphere passes and which provides that the mass flow rates at which the atmosphere passes to the highest-elevated cage  13  (i.e. closest to upper plate  7 ) and to the lowest cage (i.e. closest to bottom plate  12 ) do not differ by more than 20% and preferably by not more than 10%. That is, distributor  14  promotes uniform flow rates of the gaseous atmosphere that passes through to the caged poultry, unaffected by the height of a poultry cage above the bottom plate  12 . A distributor  14 , if present, is preferably situated in or at the downstream face of lateral space  21 , upstream of the rank or ranks of cages to which circulating stunning atmosphere is to be directed. Distributor  14  is preferably a thin sheet of metal or plastic with a large number of perforations through it. The sizes of the perforations can be different at different locations in the distributor, so that when gaseous atmosphere in lateral space  21  is placed under pressure (such as by the action of impeller  15 ) the atmosphere flow rate to all cages in the rank or ranks is relatively uniform. The top edge of a distributor such as distributor  14  extends from a side edge of upper plate  10 , and it should extend downward to the level of the lowest cage to which stunning atmosphere is to be directed. Distributor  14  is preferably of a height and width sufficient to fill the space through which circulating gas passes in the flow circuit. A distributor having the same characteristics and functionality can be situated in or at the upstream face of lateral space  22 , downstream of the rank or ranks of cages through which circulating atmosphere has flowed.  
         [0038]     In a preferred mode of operation, a vehicle  11  such as a truck carrying or pulling a flat bed stacked with cages of poultry is positioned in the enclosure as shown in  FIG. 3 . One rank of cages and preferably 2 to 4 ranks of cages are within enclosure  1 . Preferably, when a vehicle&#39;s load of cages is first being subjected to treatment by this invention, the first cages that are within the enclosure are the cages closest to the front of the vehicle. If the position of upper plate  10  is adjustable, then when carrier  11  has entered enclosure  1  upper plate  10  is preferably moved downward as close as possible to the uppermost poultry cage while still enabling the carrier to move without having the upper plate dislodge any poultry cages.  
         [0039]     In an optional but preferred embodiment, a vertical gas-impermeable sheet is placed across the width of the vehicle, one on each side of the rank or ranks of cages that are about to be exposed to the stunning atmosphere. Each sheet should be as high as the stack of cages in the rank or ranks, and each sheet should be as wide as the rank or ranks are deep (that is, as seen across the width of vehicle  11 ). The sheets improve efficiency by reducing the amount of circulating stunning gas atmosphere that is lost from the front and rear walls of the cages and that thus avoids being circulated in the desired flow path described herein.  
         [0040]     The efficiency and effectiveness of the circulating atmosphere in bringing the poultry to the desired state of lethargy, unconsciousness or death are increased by decreasing the size of the gap between the face(s) of cages exposed to lateral spaces  21  and  22 , and the edges closest to the vehicle of the surfaces that define lateral spaces  21  and  22  (i.e., in the case of lateral space  21 , the edges of front panel  5 , rear panel  7 , and bottom structure  31 ). Satisfactory operation can be achieved even with a gap of up to a few inches.  
         [0041]     However, as another optional feature, a movable flexible skirt can be provided that helps to channel the atmosphere that is circulating within the aforementioned flow circuit from the lateral space  21  to the cages into which the atmosphere is to be directed, and out of such cages into lateral space  22 . The upstream edges of the upstream skirt and the downstream edges of downstream skirt are preferably secured to the adjacent side edges of upper plate  10 , and to the interior surfaces of front panel  5  and of rear panel  7 , and to either the interior surfaces of sides  3  and  4  or to the interior surface of bottom structure  31  and  32 . The downstream edge of the upstream skirt and the upstream edge of the downstream skirt should have a sufficient circumferential length that they each define an opening (through which the circulating atmosphere flows) as tall and as wide as the height and width of the rank or ranks of cages through which the atmosphere is to be circulated. These edges can if desired be joined to a gasket or other collar-like structure having the length and width of the rank or ranks of cages to be treated; using such a gasket or similar device facilitates handling the skirt material. Each skirt should be of a length adequate to extend from the areas at which it is attached to the structure of the enclosure, to the rank or ranks of cages through which the circulating atmosphere is to be directed. Suitable materials of construction for the skirt include heavy cloth, plastic (such as flexible polyethylene or polypropylene sheeting) or sections of stiffer plastic material hinged together.  
         [0042]     With the vehicle in position so that a rank or several ranks of cages are within the enclosure, and with the aforementioned apparatus  25  for exhausting atmosphere from the enclosure and for feeding ambient air into the enclosure closed, skirts (if present) are optionally positioned to help channel atmosphere flow through the selected rank or ranks of cages, and one or more components are injected via the aforementioned one or more injectors  17  to impart to the atmosphere a composition which, when breathed by the poultry in the selected rank or ranks of cages, will begin to bring the poultry to the desired state i.e. lethargic, unconscious or dead. The impeller should at this time be operating, to circulate the component or components that are injected into the circulating atmosphere.  
         [0043]     The gaseous component or components that are injected into the circulating atmosphere should not themselves be toxic to the poultry but inert, bringing about the desired state by gradually asphyxiating the bird i.e. by reducing the oxygen content of the atmosphere that the bird breathes. Suitable gases include carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, and mixtures thereof.  
         [0044]     The atmosphere that renders the poultry lethargic generally comprises 5% to 25% of one or more of such gases. Thus, injecting carbon dioxide or nitrogen until the concentration thereof reaches about 20 weight %, for example, establishes an atmosphere that when breathed by the bird renders the bird lethargic. The atmosphere that is thereby established should be maintained for 30 to 60 seconds, during which the birds can be seen to become lethargic.  
         [0045]     Continuing to inject such a component or components to increase its concentration in the circulating atmosphere converts the atmosphere to a composition that when breathed by the poultry for a sufficient time renders the poultry unconscious or dead. For reasons of economy and efficiency, the same component or components injected to render the birds lethargic should be injected to render the poultry unconscious or dead. Generally, the concentration of the component or components should be increased (via the injector) to about 45% to 55% by weight, e.g. of carbon dioxide or nitrogen or other inert gas or combination of inert gases. When the circulating atmosphere has reached this composition, circulation should be maintained for another 3.5 to 6 minutes, until the birds are unconscious or dead (the length of time depends on the desired final state of the bird following this treatment).  
         [0046]     As mentioned herein, the injection of the component that is to have the desired effect on the poultry can be governed automatically by an automated controller into which has been inputted the desired concentration of the component(s), and optionally also the desired rate of increase of the concentration-of the component(s), that responds to measurements of the concentration that are provided by probe  18  by injecting the component(s) to bring about the desired concentration. It can be advantageous to govern the injection of the component(s) in response also to a desired rate of increase of the concentration, as birds may exhibit convulsive behavior such as wing flapping and other excessive movement if the concentration of the stunning component increases too quickly.  
         [0047]     Thus, the injection can occur without interruption throughout a treatment cycle, or can occur intermittently. When the composition of the atmosphere has reached the desired level, injection can be discontinued but one may wish to continue injection at a reduced flow rate to account for losses of the atmosphere out of the flow circuit.  
         [0048]     When the poultry being exposed to the circulating atmosphere has reached the desired state of lethargy, unconsciousness or lifelessness, injection of gas is discontinued. The atmosphere is exhausted from the flow circuit, for instance through exhaust vent  26 , and ambient air is drawn into the flow circuit, for instance through feed vent  27 . Continuing to operate the impeller during this stage helps to exhaust the stunning atmosphere from the enclosure and to draw in ambient air. The aforementioned optional skirts, if present, can be retracted from the sides of the vehicle  11  at this time.  
         [0049]     The vehicle and the enclosure are moved relative to each other so that another rank or adjacent ranks of cages are in position to be treated in the same sequence of steps just described. The aforementioned exhausting of stunning atmosphere and reintroduction of ambient air can be carried out while this movement is occurring, although it is preferred that poultry next to be treated is not exposed at the outset to a high concentration of a stunning atmosphere. Preferably, ranks of cages should be treated in a sequence from the cages closest to the front of the vehicle, along the length of the vehicle in order, concluding with the cages closest to the rear of the vehicle, to minimize excessive movement of the vehicle and the enclosure, and to enable poultry in the frontmost cages to be removed from the vehicle even while cages remaining on the vehicle are being treated or are still awaiting treatment.  
         [0050]     Movement of the vehicle with respect to the enclosure can be carried out in any of several different ways. The vehicle can be driven, that is, moved or pulled under the power of the vehicle itself just as though the vehicle were traveling under its own power on the open road. Alternatively, the vehicle (the entire truck, if it is a unitary vehicle or a cab unit pulling a trailer with the caged poultry, or only the trailer carrying the caged poultry) can be drawn into and through the enclosure by apparatus such as a cable attached to the front of the vehicle by which the vehicle is pulled through the enclosure, or by apparatus that engages the underside of the vehicle with a drive mechanism that draws the vehicle through the enclosure (such as the sort of mechanism employed in automatic car washes).  
         [0051]     In other alternatives of repositioning the enclosure to circulate the stunning atmosphere through successive ranks of cages, the enclosure can be moved relative to the ground and relative to the vehicle, while the vehicle is stationary or while the vehicle is also moving relative to the ground. This alternative is facilitated by mounting the enclosure on wheels or on rails so that the enclosure can move relative to the ground. In the alternatives in which the enclosure moves, the enclosure can be moved n a direction from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle, or in the opposite direction, or back and forth alternating between those two directions.  
         [0052]     The length of time that is necessary for a given atmosphere to render the poultry lethargic, and the length of time necessary to reach unconsciousness or death, will depend on the component or components being used, and on the component concentration, and can be determined experimentally.  
         [0053]     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , when the vehicle begins to emerge from the exit of the enclosure so that caged poultry which has been rendered lethargic, unconscious or dead is accessible from outside the enclosure, the poultry in the cage or cages that have become accessible are removed from the vehicle at unloading area  40  for further processing of the poultry. The poultry is removed from its cages, wither while the cages are still on the vehicle, or after teach cage has been removed from the vehicle to facilitate taking the stunned bird out of its cage. Further processing typically will include slaughtering the poultry, and dressing the carcass in any desirable fashion. In a preferred embodiment, caged poultry that has been rendered lethargic, unconscious or dead by the treatment described herein is removed from the front part of the vehicle while other poultry caged in the more rearward areas of the vehicle are still undergoing stunning within the enclosure or are awaiting treatment.  
         [0054]     The method and apparatus of the present invention provide several advantages. The invention provides the advantages that other techniques for stunning the poultry provide, such as reducing the difficulty and hazards faced by workers who have to handle live, fully awake birds. But the invention provides these at considerably less cost both in the cost of setting the necessary apparatus and the cost of operating it. Also, the apparatus can operate in a much smaller space than is required by other stunning operations. In addition, the overall time required to treat (stun) a given vehicle-load of poultry is reduced, compared to other stunning techniques, because of the rapidity with which the invention works and because while some of the poultry is still being stunned it is possible to be already delivering stunned (lethargic, unconscious or deceased) birds from that vehicle-load for further processing.