Comparison of bolt penetration depth by lowcost penetrating captive-bolt devices used for cattle euthanasia on the farm

Abstract

Comparative studies are lacking to guide low-cost penetrating captive-bolt device (PCB) selection for on-farm cattle euthana­sia. This study aimed to compare bolt penetration depth (BPD) of 3 such devices available in Canada. We hypothesized that the cheapest PCB would have a lower BPD than the higher cost PCBs tested.