Euthanasia Safe, Low Stress Cattle Handling

90 Beef Breeder MANUAL

4.2.6. Euthanasia

There are likely to be occasions when it is necessary to euthanize an animal during the normal operation of a beef cattle enterprise. It is important to be aware how to safely and humanely euthanize an animal when it is found to be in pain or sufering, and where treatment is either not practical or not economically feasible. When done correctly, the animal feels no pain and it loses consciousness instantly. Every farm should have access to personnel who are competent and readily available to undertake humane killing, and suitable equipment should be on hand and be maintained in good working condition. Where it is necessary to kill cattle, it must be done promptly, safely and humanely. For beef producers without access to a veterinarian who is licensed to administer a lethal dose of a registered barbiturate to the animal, adult cattle may be efectively euthanized by shooting with a rile with a calibre of at least .223, and for bulls at least .30 to ensure that the muzzle energy of the projectile is suicient to reliably euthanize the animal. For calves, a smaller calibre long rile cartridge of at least .22 is required Source: Dairy Australia. Alternatively, a captive bolt pistol may be used where the operator is able to safely hold the captive bolt against the forehead of the animal without risk of injuring themselves during the process. To produce instantaneous unconsciousness, the projectile must penetrate the brain with a high concussive impact. The correct positions for placement of the projectile are shown in Fig. 4.10. For cattle, the projectile must enter the middle of the forehead on an “X” formed between the eyes and the horns. Immediately after administering a euthanizing treatment, the animal must be checked to ensure that the treatment has been successful. Indicators such as those in Table 4.2 must be observed. If euthanasia has been unsuccessful at the irst attempt, due care and attention must be paid to readminister the treatment without undue delay and in an efective manner. Figure 4.10. Correct location for shooting cattle with a irearm or a captive bolt pistol. Source: J. Shearer et al., 2013, Western Dairy Management Conference. 91 Cold Winter Climates

4.3. Transporting Cattle