Perdue Farms has installed a higher-welfare, Controlled Atmosphere Stunning (CAS) system at its Milford, Del., chicken harvesting plant. The move, celebrated by animal welfare advocates, is part of the company’s promise to convert all its operations away from shackling live, conscious animals and electrical stunning of chickens.
Stunning is a step that renders animals insensible to pain before processing. Most U.S. poultry plants use electricity, a method introduced in the 1960s. By contrast, CAS, which has been widely adopted in Europe and supported by leading animal welfare organizations, changes the concentrations of gas in the air the chickens breathe to bring about a loss of consciousness.