Patent ID: 7448943

Claim:
A system for stunning poultry located in cages, the system comprising: a. a conveyor system operable to move said cages along a path having a beginning and an ending; b. at least three stunning stations located along the path and located between the beginning and the ending of the path, wherein each stunning station is operable to release a predetermined amount of a subduing gas into the stunning station to create a predetermined concentration of the subduing gas in the stunning station once a cage enters the stunning station; c. the predetermined concentration of the subduing gas for a first station is less than the predetermined amount of the subduing gas for a second station, and wherein the predetermined amount of the subduing gas for a third station is more than the predetermined amount for the second station; and d. wherein each stunning station further comprises a heater operable to heat the subduing gas prior to introducing the subduing gas within the stunning station.