Evaluation of electrical stunning methods using alternative frequencies in commercial rabbits

The stages of recovery and spontaneous physical activity were evaluated using five methods of electrical stunning with variable voltage and frequency in an experiment with commercial rabbits (n=50). The recovery stages, evaluated by video recording, were: the tonic phase; the clonic phase; the corneal reflex; the resumption to rhythmic breathing, the response to painful stimuli and the hindleg posture. In a second rabbit sample (n=96) the muscular pH of the m. biceps femori and the pH of the m. longissimus dorsi were recorded. The levels of stunning were acceptable in all rabbits, with small variations among methods, especially with respect to the last stage of recovery. The period of insensibility before the appearance of the rhythmic breathing was an average of 30.14 ± 0.5 s long. There was no significant effect on meat pH at 24 h.