Interpretation of the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) Animal Handling Guidelines for auditing the welfare of cattle, pigs, and sheep at slaughter plants

Temple Grandin
Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA

Updated January 2022


The North American Institute animal handling guidelines and audit guides which uses objective numerical scoring was first developed in 1997. The use of this objective scoring system for auditing animal welfare has resulted in great improvements. In 1999 before McDonald’s Corporation and Wendy’s International started auditing animal welfare only 30% of the plants rendered 95% or more of the cattle insensible with a single shot from a captive bolt stunner. Today over 90% of the plants that are regularly audited by a customer can do this. Over the years, auditors, plant managers, and customers have had many question s on the interpretation of the guidelines and how to do scoring. In the paper I have taken the 22 most common questions and answered. The questions are based on actual experiences in plants or questions from auditors, plant managers, and customers.


Update 2022

Recent questions about collecting numerical data for NAMI welfare audits
Recently there have been increasing questions on the best procedures for collecting numerical data for NAMI animal welfare audits. This is likely due to PAACO (Professional Animal Auditor Certifiction Organization) classes being taught online. Online classes eliminated in the plant instruction on sampling methods for scoring stunning, insensibility, vocalization, electric prod usage, and the percentage of animals falling. Many of the questions are about scoring of vocalization and electric prod use.

A major area of confusion is scoring of vocalization of cattle and pigs. For cattle, all animals that vocalize in the stun box or restrainer are counted. In the leadup chute, vocalizing cattle that occur while they are actively being moved are counted. Each individual bovine is scored as either silent or vocal. In cattle, it is easy to determine if the vocalizations are originating from either a single bovine or multiple cattle. A single bovine may emit a series of multiple rapid moos. This is scored as a single bovine.

Seeing the bovine's mouth move is not required. In pigs, it is almost impossible in groups of pigs to determine if either one pig is squealing or multiple pigs are squealing. This is the reason why the NAMI guideline scores pig vocalizations only in the conveyor restrainer or a single animal stun box. All vocalization scores are per animal and they are classified as either vocal or silent. Do not use vocalization scoring for sheep.

Answers to common questions
Depending on the size of the plant sample, sizes of data that is collected in either 100,50, or 25 animals. For very small plants, that may have ten or less animals processed per day, all the animals are scored. A common question concerns the boundary of the sample. If the sample size is 100, does the 101st animal count while scoring? The answer is no. The percentage should be calculated based on 100 cattle, pigs or sheep. The only exception to this rule would be an egregious act of abuse inflicted on the 101st animal. Acts of abuse are ALWAYS counted and they would result in a failed audit. When I was conducting live PAACO instruction in a plant, I always taught auditors how to collect percentage data in an easy and practical manner. Below is a guideline.
Large plants over 150 per hour all species
Score three groups of 100 cattle, pigs, or sheep. The total number of animals scored would be 300. The first group would be for scoring insensibility (unconsciousness) the location of the auditor would be in the bleeding area. For the second group of 100, the auditor would be located near the stunner to score either captive' bolt stunning or wand placement for electric stunning. At this same time, vocalization would also be scored. For a third group of 100 animals, the auditor would be located by either the leadup chute (race) or the last group pen going into a CO2 chamber. Falling and electric prod use would be scored for all species. All scores are per animal. The animal is scored as either electric prodded or not electric prodded.

Before collecting the numerical sample for falls and electric prod use, I would go to the crowd pen and watch three or four groups of animals passing through it. If there were zero falls and zero electric prod use, I then collected the entire numerical sample near the stun box or restrainer entrance. If I observed falls or prods in the crowd pen, I would split the numerical sample and score half at the crowd pen and half at the stun box or restrainer entrance.

The third group of 100 cattle, would also be scored for vocalization, both in the leadup and in the stun box. It is easy to hear vocalizing cattle in the stun box. A rapid series of moo, moo, moo, moo is scored as one bovine. Falls at the unloading area are scored as part of the transportation audit. If a transportation audit is not being conducted on an additional group of animals, it should be scored at the unloading ramp for falls and electric prod use.

Medium Plants 25 to 150 per hour all species
In most plants of this size range, two groups of either 100 or 50 animals are scored. To have clear sample boundaries, the number scored should be determined before the audit starts. The first group is scored for insensibility in the bleed area. For the second group, the auditor should find a position to stand where they can see both the stunner and the leadup chute. This makes it possible to simultaneously score stunning, falling electric prods and vocalization. In a stun box, all animals that fall before stunning are counted. For falls, the auditor should also walk around to determine if falling is a problem in some other part of the chutes, crowd pen, or main drive alley. If they observe falling, a third group should be scored for falls in the area where falls are a problem.
Small plants - Under 25 per hour all species
Score two groups of 25 animals using the same procedure as the medium sized plants.
Very small plants - All species
Score all the animals that can be observed during one hour of production. The auditor will usually have to simultaneously score insensibility, stunning, falling, vocalization, and electric prod use. The auditor should find a location to position themselves that will not interfere with plant operations. When the sample size is under ten animals, they are allowed one mistake for electric prods, falls, vocalization or stunning. All the animalsmust be rendered insensible and unconscious before they are hung on the bleed rail.
General Tips
Auditors must find places to stand where they do not cause animals to balk or stop moving. The auditor's movements should not slow down or impede normal operation of the plant. It is essential to evaluate normal operation of the facility. If the management slows down the line or adds extra people to help them pass, this should be noted in the comments. The emphasis should be on observing normal plant operation. Handling scoring of falls, vocalization and electric prods are the same for either kosher or Halal religious slaughter.
Acts of abuse
All acts of abuse or a sensible animal hung on the rail is an automatic failed audit. The acts of abuse are NOT limited to the ones listed in the NAMI guideline. Any act of abuse must be reported and clearly described in the comment section.


Update 2020

When the frequently asked questions and answers were first posted in 2011, they were designed to answer questions that many people asked. There were 22 original questions. Most of these 22 original questions have remained the same, but there are few minor changes in the wording of questions 3, 14, 16,and 18.

A new section has been added to answer additional questions about the transportation audit and the administration of second stuns. Go to www.animalhandling.org to see the full text: The 2019 NAMI Guidelines and Audit Guides.


Frequently Asked Questions that were asked in 2011

Question 1: To pass an NAMI 2019 welfare audit does a plant have to have a passing score on all seven of the core criteria?

Answer: YES - To maintain an acceptable level of animal welfare a passing score on all seven of the core criteria is required. They are: 1) Effective stunning, 2) bleed rail insensibility, 3) slipping and falling, 4) vocalization, 5) electric prod use, 6) willful acts of abuse, and 7) access to water. The secondary audit items should not be used to determine whether a facility passes or fails an audit.

When a single audit is done in a very small plant, some adjustments in scoring have to be made to adjust for a small sample size. On a sample of 10 cattle or less they are allowed one non-compliance on falling, stunning, and vocalization. They must get a perfect score on 2 out of 3 of these variables. When data is pooled the standard scoring for 100 cattle should be used. The table below will assist in scoring small plants.

Recommendations for Scoring Based on Cattle Sample Size
(Use as suggestions only)
When data is pooled, use 100 cattle sample percentages
Number of animals per audit 100 Cattle 50 Cattle 25 Cattle 10 Cattle or less
Stunning efficacy 95% 96% 96% *see note
Vocalization 3% 4% 4% *see note
Insensibility 0% 0% 0% 0%
Slipping 3% 4% 4% 10%
Falling 1% 2% 4% *see note
Willful Act of Abuse 0% 0% 0% 0%
Dragging Sensible Animals 0% 0% 0% 0%
Clean Water Available Yes Yes Yes Yes
Adequate Footing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Internal Audit Frequency Min. Weekly Min. Weekly Min. Weekly Min. Weekly
3rd Party Validation Yes Yes Yes Yes
3rd Party Validation Frequency Annual Annual Annual Annual
* In a 10 cattle sample, 2 out of 3 of the * items must be 0%. They are allowed one non-compliance on * items.

Question 2: Is the NAMI audit failed if a truck driver who is not a plant employee beats and kicks animals?

Answer: YES - The 2019 NAMI guideline states: “Any willful act of abuse is grounds for an audit failure.”

Question 3: A single beef steer vocalizes (moo or bellows) 8 times. Since 8% is over the 3% limit for cattle vocalizations, does the plant fail on vocalization?

Answer: NO - On the five core criteria of stunning efficiency, insensibility, vocalization, slips and falls, and electric prod use, all scores are on a PER ANIMAL basis.The criteria are based on how many animals vocalized, not how many vocalizations were heard. Each animal is checked off on a yes/no basis. Some examples are:

  1. Silent cow or a vocal cow or pig
  2. Poked with an electric prod or an electric prod not used
  3. Fall or did not fall
  4. Effectively shot with one shot or shot more than once

If the same animal moos 8 times, it is still counted as one vocalizing animal.

Question 4: An employee touches an animal with an electric prod, but does not push the switch to administer a shock. Does that count as electric prod use?

Answer: YES - Practical experience has shown that it is extremely difficult to determine if a shock was given. If the animal is touched with the electrical device it always counts. If a single animal is shocked more than once it still counts as one animal. The plant fails on electric prod use if more than 25% of the cattle or pigs are touched with it. Electric prods should never be used on sheep.

Question 5: If cattle, pigs, or sheep vocalize (moo, bellow, squeal or baa baa) in the stockyards (lairage) does this count on the vocalization score?

Answer: NO - Vocalization scoring is done in the following places:

pigs - restrainer, stun box, stun pen, and bleed rail
cattle - restrainer, stun box, religious slaughter box. Vocalization scoring is also done while cattle are entering the stun box or religious slaughter box. Vocalization caused by electric prod use is scored.
sheep - no vocalization scoring is done
For cattle, all vocalizations in the stun box, religious slaughter box, or restrainer count. In the lead up chute (race) and crowd pen, cattle vocalizations only count during actual movement of the cattle by a person.

Question 6: Does falling down in the stun box count when it occurs BEFORE stunning or religious slaughter?

Answer: YES - If more than 1% of the animals fall, this is a failing fall score. Boxes that are designed to cause sensible animals to fall down (trip boxes) should never be used. They would receive a failing score.

Question 7: Will a plant fail on falling if 5% of the animals fall during truck unloading?

Answer: YES - Slips and falls are scored during truck unloading. The guideline states: “Good animal welfare and quiet calm handling is impossible if animals slip or fall on the floor. All areas where animals walk should have non-slip footing. Animals should be observed during all phases of handling and if slipping or falling is observed, steps should be taken to correct the problem.”

Question 8: If an animal slips and its rear end touches the floor, is that scored as a fall?

Answer: YES - A fall is scored if any part of the body touches the floor during handling. The falling score is failed if more than 1% of the animals fall. Falls caused by powered gates are counted.

Question 9: A beef cow is rolled out of a stun box and the shackler sees eye movement and re-stuns it BEFORE hoisting. Is this scored as a second shot?

Answer: YES - The stunning audit would be failed if the employee had hoisted the animal before the second shot. Since the employee re-stunned the animal before hoisting; it is scored as a second shot. It counts as a point on core criteria 1 on effective stunning. To pass the stunning audit the employee has to be able to effectively stun 95% of the cattle with a single shot.

Question 10: A pig vocalizes (squeals) when the electric stunning wand (tong) is accidentally energized before it is fully pressed against the animal. Does this count as a point off the pig vocalization score?

Answer: NO - This will count as a “hot wand” and will be a point off on the “hot wand” section of the electric stunning score. Hot wand scores over 1% fail on stunning. Hot wanding is a welfare issue because the sensible pig feels the shock.

Question 11: A pig squeals when it is halfway into the restrainer or stun box due to an electric prod. Does this count on the vocalization score?

Answer: NO - The pig’s rear must be past the restrainer entrance to count. A score of over 5% of the pigs vocalizing in the restrainer fails on vocalization. The reason why pigs are only scored in the restrainer is due to difficulty of counting individual pigs squealing in other parts of the facility. Cattle are scored for vocalization in both the stunning area and the lead up chutes during handling because counting individual cattle that vocalize is easier than identifying individual pigs.

Question 12: A plant employee starts to skin the head of an animal that has blinking eyes. Is the audit failed?

Answer: YES - This is an automatic audit failure. The guideline states, “There is a zero tolerance for beginning any procedure like skinning the head or leg removal on any animal that shows signs of return to sensibility.” This applies to both conventional and religious slaughter. Animals with eyes that do spontaneous natural blinking are sensible.

Question 13: The CO2 machine malfunctions and several pigs wake up on the bleed table, get up and attempt to jump off. Is the audit failed if an employee shackles and hoists these pigs to keep them from running away?

Answer: YES - This is an automatic audit failure. The guideline states: “Any sensible animal on the bleed rail constitutes an automatic audit failure.” It is obvious that these pigs were fully sensible.

Question 14: If an auditor sees an animal returning to sensibility on the bleed table or after being hoisted on the rail, but is not performing the sensibility part of the audit, does the facility automatically fail the audit? (Question revised 2019).

Answer: YES- The 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide state, "Any sensible animal on the bleed rail constitutes an automatic audit failure. An animal observed returning to sensibility after being hoisted on the bleed rail is an audit failure." (Answer revised 2019).

Question 15: An animal’s rear leg is kicking while it is hung on the bleed rail. Is the audit failed?

Answer: NO - Kicking may occur in totally insensible animals; it is just a reflex. People evaluating insensibility must look at the head. Refer to the NAMI 2019 guideline for detailed instructions on determining insensibility.

Question 16: A pig falls down and becomes non-ambulatory on the unloading ramp. The truck driver drags it out of the way so that he can unload the rest of the pigs. Is the audit failed?

Answer: YES - Dragging a sensible animal is an act of abuse and is grounds for automatic audit failure. Dragging a sensible animal is also a violation of the Humane Slaughter Act. Animals must be rendered insensible with a stunning device BEFORE dragging. In the U.S. a sensible animal can be carefully rolled onto a sled or other device for moving it. This is not allowed in Canada; the non-ambulatory animal must be euthanized where it lies.

Question 17: A steer rears up and knocks the electric prod out of an employee’s hand, and the end of the prod accidentally hits another steer in the eye. Is the audit failed for an act of abuse?

Answer: NO - The NAMI 2019 guidelines and audit guide clearly states that acts of abuse have to be done intentionally. The guideline states under core criteria 6: “Any willful act of abuse is grounds for automatic audit failure. 1) dragging a conscious, non-ambulatory animal; 2) intentionally applying prods to sensitive parts of the animal like the eyes, ears, nose or rectum; 3) deliberate slamming of gates on livestock; 4) purposeful driving of livestock on top of one another; 5) hitting/beating an animal. Note any such acts observed.”

Question 18: A plant that conducts religious slaughter shackles and hoists live animals BEFORE the throat is cut. Does this plant fail the audit?

Answer: YES - The NAMI 2019 guideline states: “Cattle, calves, sheep or other animals that are ritually slaughtered without prior stunning should be restrained in a comfortable upright position. For both humane and safety reasons, plants should install modern upright restraining equipment whenever possible. Shackling and hoisting, shackling and dragging, trip floor boxes, and leg clamping boxes should never be used."

The following extended answer is not part of the official NAMI 2019 answer: "In a very limited number of glatt Kosher plants in the United States and more commonly in South America and Europe, restrainers that position animals on their backs are used. For information about those systems and evaluating animal welfare, refer to www.grandin.com (Ritual Slaughter Section). The throat cut should be made immediately after the head is restrained (within 10 seconds). Small animals such as sheep and goats can be held manually by a person during the ritual slaughter. Plants that conduct ritual slaughter should use the same scoring procedures except for stunning scoring, which should be omitted in plants that conduct ritual slaughter without stunning. Cattle vocalization percentages should be five percent or less of the cattle in the crowd pen, lead up chute, and restraint device. A slightly higher vocalization percentage is acceptable because the animal must be held longer in the restraint device compared to conventional slaughter. A five percent or less vocalization score can reasonably achieved. Scoring criteria for electric prod use and slipping on the floor should be the same as for conventional slaughter.”

Question 19: The employee stunning pigs with an electric stunner places the wand (tongs) on the middle of the pig’s neck and body on 10% of the pigs. Is the stunning audit failed?

Answer: YES - Electric stunners must be placed so that the current goes through the brain. Stunning on the neck bypasses the brain and will not induce instantaneous insensibility. To pass the stunning audit the wand (tong) must be placed in the correct position on 99% of the animals. Refer to the guideline for more detail.

Question 20: The animal moves it's head and the captive bolt stunner is shot in the air. Is this counted as a second shot?

Answer: NO - A stunner shot that shoots in the air does not count. If the bolt of the stunner touches or partially penetrates the animal, it is counted as a missed shot.

Question 21: How do you score plants that routinely shoot bulls, bison, and other heavy livestock twice? Do they fail?

Answer: NO - To verify that 95% or more are rendered insensible with one shot from a captive bolt, the auditor must check for signs of insensibility BEFORE the second shot and record the stunning score. To pass the audit, 100% must be rendered insensible before hoisting or the beginning of dressing procedures.

Question 22: A plant claims to have a new type of electric stunner where an animal is rendered insensible because rhythmic breathing is absent, but other signs of return to sensibility are present, such as vocalization and natural spontaneous blinking. Is the audit failed?

Answer: YES - To pass the insensibility audit, all five of the indicators of returning to sensibility must be absent. They are: 1) rhythmic breathing, 2) vocalization, 3)natural spontaneous blinking like live animals in the lairage, 4) menace reflex, and 5) arched back righting reflex with the head bent back while hanging on the rail. The following signs are NOT signs of return to sensibility: nystagmus (rapidly vibrating eye) and gasping like a fish out of water. An eye with nystagmus movements moves much more quickly than natural blinking. Nystagmus and gasping are not scored as return to sensibility after electric stunning. After captive bolt stunning nystagmus and grasping must be absent. The eye should open into a wide blank stare and not be rotated. After captive bolt stunning, the corneal reflex must be absent. See chart in 2010 AMS guidelines.


2020 Update: New Frequently Asked Questions

Note: Number not consistent - Only new questions are in this section. See www.animalhandling.org

Questions on Chapter 2: Transportation Practices

All Species

Question 1: Is bedding required for cull dairy cows?

Answer: The 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide are not prescriptive of bedding practices (i.e. how much bedding to provide and when it should be-provided) and bedding provision is considered a secondary criterion in the NAMI audit tool because bedding can become compacted during transport and difficult to measure upon arrival at the plant. A secondary criterion does not impact the pass or fail of the audit, but should be documented as part of the report.

As stated in the 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide, trucks must follow the plant's policy on bedding provision and will be audited against the establishment's written policy. Some regions transport cattle without bedding due to warm climates; this must be noted in the plant's policy for bedding to demonstrate compliance. Furthermore, some jurisdictions may have a regulatory requirement for bedding and trucks must demonstrate compliance with such requirements.

Questions on Chapter 3, Humane Handling & Stunning at the Plant

All Species

Question 2: Are the terms "security stun" and "double knock" considered synonymous? If the two terms are not used in the same manner, is there a definition for "double knock"?

Answer: No, a security stun and a double knock are not considered synonymous. A double knock is performed when the first knock does not render the animal completely unconscious and signs of a possible return to consciousness may be observed. A security knock is performed when, even though the animal is not showing any signs of being conscious or returning to consciousness, the operator administers a second knock to ensure the animal stays unconscious and to maintain employee safety.

Pigs

Question 3: Co2 stunning may be accompanied by a strange vocalization, but vocalization is a key component to assessing insensibility, and we state in other areas that a vocalizing animal is a definite sign of a conscious animal (p. 30 of the 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide).

Answer: Unusual sounds, such as a moan or gasp, can sometimes be observed, and do not represent signs of consciousness.

Sheep

Question 4: Accessible points of access for firearms are addressed in sheep (p. 22 of the 2019 Guidelines). It says that captive bolt should be used only at the top of the head. Is this standard practice for captive bolt placement in sheep?

Answer: Yes. Both the AVMA 2013 Euthanasia Guidance Document and the AVMA 2016 Humane Slaughter Guidance document recommend either the frontal or the top-of-head position when using a captive bolt gun for sheep. The brain of the sheep is located high in the head, which is why the top-of-head shot is acceptable.

Questions on Chapter 4, Transportation Audit Guidelines

All Species

Question 5: What is the recommended number of trailers to include in the transportation audit?

Answer: The 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide states that no less than two trailers and no more than five trailers should be assessed.

Question 6: What is the method by which trailers should be selected for inclusion in the transportation audit?

Answer: An attempt should be made to assure the audit encompasses the entirety of the receiving process. This includes all types of trailers delivering, the differing unloading areas used, and the different shifts receiving livestock. It is not always practical that on each individual audit that all trailers and ramps be audited throughout all day/shifts. The establishment should design auditing schemes that account for these variations and attempt to audit the variances throughout a limited time frame. For third party auditing, it may not be possible to audit all types of trailers, all types of ramps, and all shifts of receiving.

Cattle

Question 10: Should compartments be gated for cull dairy cattle?

Answer: The 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide states that compartments should be gated for swine, sheep, and veal calves. Cull dairy cattle and market cattle are only gated under special circumstances. Refer to your specific industry transportation guidelines for more information.

Question 27: How should prod use be audited when there are multiple restrainers (i.e. a two-line electrical stun for pigs), when there are multiple handlers on each line and all have access to electrical prods. Shall 100 animals be audited on each retraining lead up, passing by all of the handlers and the number of animals prodded are added up to get the percent prodded?

Answer: An audit should represent the plant's process, not the number of handlers. When electric stunning in pigs is assessed, the 2019 Slaughter Audit Guide indicates that electric prod use should be evaluated at the entrance to the restrainer, but prod use can be scored where ever electric prods are used in the plant. In this case, it is recommended that the auditor split the 100 head between the two lines, and evaluate electric prodding in 50 head in each single file chute leading up to the restrainer. Scoring electric prodding should be on a per-animal basis.

Question 28: Can clarification be provided on the following language, taken from Core Criterion 7 in Chapter 5 of the 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide?

"While no sensible animal should be observed on the bleed rail or bleed table during a 100-head audit, on rare occasions, it is possible that an animal with partial return to sensibility will be observed. An animal on the rail showing transition signs is NOT counted as sensible as long as the backup stunner is IMMEDIATELY accessible and a successful second stun is administered IMMEDIATELY. It is CRITICAL that animals showing signs of potential return to sensibility be re-stunned immediately. When a second application of the stunner is done in any location before the animal is hoisted, it is counted as a second stun, not as a sensible animal on the bleed rail or bleed table."

Answer: As long as a back-up stun is applied before the animal regains consciousness, it is considered a security stun. Only sensible animals are scored, not animals that are displaying signs of a potential return to sensibility.

Question 29: Some plants have a policy that if there is any doubt about sensibility after hoisted - they need to re-shoot, For example, it is policy at one plant that if any pig is showing agonal gasping on the shackle, it is re-stunned with a captive bolt, even though that is not a sign of sensibility. Is this considered a sensible animal, if the second shot is applied after the animal is hoisted?

Answer: Some plants have specific policy on when to administer security stuns. Regardless of the plant's policy on administering security stuns, when a second application of a stunner is used on an insensible animal or an animal that is showing signs of potentially returning to sensibility in any location during the slaughter process, it is considered a security stun and not scored as a sensible animal when assessing effective stunning or insensibility on the bleed rail or bleed table.

Cattle - New Question 2019

Question 30: What is the definition of chronic mounting (also applies to sheep)?

Answer: If an animal is being repeatedly mounted by other animals in the pen to the point of exhibiting lameness or going down, the animal being mounted should be removed from the pen.

Pigs - New Question 2019

Question 32: In the text of the 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide (p.26) it states the minimum amperage for a market hog is 2.0 amps. In the audit (p.114) it states the minimum amperage for market hogs is 1.25 amps and for sows it is 2.0 amps. Can clarification be provided?

Answer: The recommended amperage of 2.0 on page 26 of the 2019 Guidelines and Audit Guide is correct. Ultimately, it is up to the plant to determine what works best for their facility - the recommended minimum amps for market hogs is 2.0, but plants have to determine this based on their in-plant experience. The audit form will be updated in the next revision to reflect this recommendation.

Question 34: Should resting time for pigs prior to stunning be audited?

Answer:No, the concept of resting time is addressed in Chapter 3 of the Guidelines and Audit Guide, which does not outline Core Criteria for audits. Many animal handling and welfare concepts are discussed in the Guidelines, but only the Core Criteria and secondary criteria are to be audited.


Comments

Well written comments are essential. On all core criteria that do not pass, the auditor should write a description of what happened. Below are examples of poor descriptions and examples of complete, good descriptions. Good descriptions are essential for evaluating problems and determining the severity of a problem. Auditors should also write a description of other welfare problems that they observe that are not one of the core criteria. Really good practices should also be described.

Insensibility Failure Description Examples

Poor Description Example -Animal not properly stunned and rendered insensible.

Good Description Examples -

A. The animal had spontaneous natural blinking without touching the eye.
B. The animal was squealing after stunning.
C. The animal had a corneal reflex and the eyelid moved when the cornea was touched with the tip of a pen.
D. The animal was walking around after stunning.
E. The animal had a full righting reflex while hanging on the shackle and it oriented and turned its head toward people walking by it.

Stunning Failure Description Examples

Poor Description Example - Bad stunning.

Good Description Examples -

A. The operator placed the stunner in the correct position, but the dirty corroded captive bolt stunner did not have sufficient power to stun the animal.
B. The electric stunner wand was placed on the pig’s shoulder instead of in the correct location behind the pig’s ear.
C. The operator got nervous and failed on stunning while I was standing on the stunner platform. He was able to pass the audit when I stood in a location where he could not see me and thought I was gone.

Vocalization Failure Description Examples

Poor Description Example – There was a lot of vocalization.

Good Description Examples -

A. Cattle vocalized in response to electric prod use when they balked and refused to enter the stun box.
B. Cattle vocalized in the stun box when they became agitated due to repeated rapid slips.
C. Pigs squealed in the restrainer when they contacted a broken sharp metal edge.
D. Cattle vocalized when the head holder was applied just prior to religious slaughter.
E. Cattle made little soft moos in the lead up chute that were not associated with an aversive event such as electric prod use or repeated rapid slips.

Electric Prod Use Failure Description Examples

Poor Description Example – There was overuse of the electric prod.

Good Description Examples -

A. The animals constantly backed up and refused to move forward so they had to be moved with and electric prod.
B. The crowd pen was filled completely full and the pigs were rearing and squealing. The electric prod was used to move them into the single file chute.
C. The employees were screaming and yelling and agitated animals kept turning back.
D. An untrained employee used the electric prod as his primary driving tool. He had no alternative aid such as a paddle or flag.

Falling Failure Description Examples

Poor Description Example - Many animals slipped.

Good Description Examples -

A. The animal stumbled and went down on its knee in the stun box.
B. Three animals slid about three feet in the truck unloading area. Even though this is not a failure it is a deficiency that should be corrected.

These are just examples of good comments. They can serve as a guide on how to write clean descriptive comments. There are many other problems that can cause failure and auditors should write comments to describe them.


Click here to return to the Homepage for more information on animal behavior, welfare, and care.

Click here to return to the American Meat Institute recommended handling and stunning practices and other information on welfare auditing.