Use of 'thoracic stick' in halal slaughter of bobby calves.
Throat cutting associated with halal slaughter of bobby calves fails to sever the vertebral arteries supplying the brain. Such slaughter may be inhumane due to calves recovering from the stun before permanent insensibility, due to blood loss, occurs. Interruption of the vertebral arteries may be achieved by severance of the brachiocephalic trunk or penetration of the heart by the use of a 'thoracic stick', an incision with a knife through the thoracic inlet.
Electroencephalographic studies of stunning and slaughter of sheep and calves: Part 1-The onset of permanent insensibility in sheep during slaughter.
The time of onset of permanent insensibility, subsequent to incision of the major blood vessels of the neck, was studied in sixteen adult sheep and five one-week-old lambs. Insensibility was determined from the study of electroencephalograms (EEG) and interpretation was based on the amplitude and pattern of fast wave signals of a transhemispheric bipolar derivation. In both adult sheep and lambs, conscious at the time of slaughter, insensibility occurred within 2 to 7 s and EEG traces became isoelectric between 10 and 43 s. In sheep which were lightly anaesthetised at the time of slaughter, EEG traces became isoelectric between 18 and 70 s after incision of the major blood vessels of the neck. In one sheep which was slaughtered by severance of the carotid artery and jugular vein on one side of the neck only, the onset of insensibility was delayed for 29 s. In the majority of animals, the electrocardiogram (ECG) continued to show a normal pattern for more than 10 min after slaughter. There was an initial rise in blood pressure in the first 5 to 7 s and it remained elevated for a further 10 to 20 s. The results of this work are discussed with reference to definition of death appropriate for statutory purposes and the implications for the humane slaughter of sheep.
Metabolism of individual fatty acids by sheep depot adipose tissue in vivo and in vitro.
1. 
1. Sheep adipose tissue and plasma have high stearate and low unsaturated fatty acid content compared to rat, dog and man. 
 
2. 
2. In control animals in vivo uptake as well as release of various fatty acids by adipose tissue could be demonstrated. In vitro net release occurred. Fasting resulted in a decrease in tissue stearate and increased release of fatty acids. Adrenaline and noradrenaline had minimal lipolytic effect in vivo and in vitro. 
 
3. 
3. Variations in the turnover rate of individual fatty acids were observed.