{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T18:51:32Z","timestamp":1791312692794,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":22,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,2,1]],"date-time":"2019-02-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1548979200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100006033","name":"U.S. Poultry and Egg Association","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["BRF011"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BRF011"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100006033","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim was to assess the onset of brain stem death for two euthanasia methods\u2014manual cervical dislocation (CD) versus the Koechner Euthanizing Device (KED). Over three days broilers of 36 (n = 60), 42 (n = 80), or 43 days old (n = 60) were euthanized. On days 2 and 3, a treatment was added in which the bird\u2019s head was extended at a ~90\u00b0 angle after application of the KED (KED+). On those days, gap size was recorded between the skull and atlas vertebra by 1-cm increments. The onset of brain death was assessed by recording the nictitating membrane reflex, gasping reflex and musculoskeletal movements (sec). Additionally, skin damage and blood loss were recorded (y\/n). On all days, CD resulted in quicker loss of reflexes and movements compared to KED or KED+. Reflexes returned in 0\u201315% of CD birds, 50\u201355% of KED birds, and 40\u201360% of KED+ birds, possibly regaining consciousness. Skin damage occurred in 0% of CD birds, 68\u201395% of KED birds, and 85\u201395% of KED+ birds. On day 2 (p = 0.065) and 3 (p = 0.008), KED birds had or tended to have a narrower skull-to-atlas gap compared to CD and KED+ birds. Based on our results, CD would be the recommended method for broilers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani9020047","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,2,1]],"date-time":"2019-02-01T11:19:58Z","timestamp":1549019998000},"page":"47","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":28,"title":["Euthanasia: Manual versus Mechanical Cervical Dislocation for Broilers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3799-5078","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Leonie","family":"Jacobs","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dianna V.","family":"Bourassa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Caitlin E.","family":"Harris","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Poultry Science, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA"},{"name":"USDA-ARS, US National Poultry Research Center, Athens, GA 30605, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"R. Jeff","family":"Buhr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"USDA-ARS, US National Poultry Research Center, Athens, GA 30605, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,2,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Martin, J.E. (2015). Humane Mechanical Methods for Killing Poultry on-Farm. [Ph.D. Thesis, University of Glasgow]."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Martin, J.E., Sandilands, V., Sparrey, J., Baker, L., and McKeegan, D.E.F. (2018). On Farm Evaluation of a Novel Mechanical Cervical Dislocation Device for Poultry. Animals, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/ani8010010"},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"Leary, S., Underwood, W., Anthony, R., Cartner, S., Corey, D., Grandin, T., Greenacre, C., Gwaltney-Brant, S., McCrackin, M.A., and Meyer, R. 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