By Blake Jackson
Karly Anderson, a scientist and trainer with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Humane Handling Institute (HHI), is heading a new $300,000 research project supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The study also has backing from a faculty research fellowship through Wisconsin’s Dairy Innovation Hub.
Anderson and HHI Director Kurt Vogel will investigate captive-bolt equipment and recommended stun-placement practices used for cattle in meat processing facilities.
The goal is to develop reliable, science-based guidance for slaughter facilities, livestock producers, and others responsible for humane stunning or euthanasia.
The research includes two primary areas of study. First, researchers will use an ultra-high-speed camera to determine the travel distance and speed of bolts from commercially available captive-bolt devices.
Penetrating captive-bolt equipment is widely used to stun cattle in the United States, but independent information about bolt travel distances across different devices remains limited.
“The fastest bolt speed that we’re aware of right now is about 207 feet per second,” Anderson said. “The ultra high-speed camera lets us slow down and figure out exactly what is the maximum bolt travel distance.”
The second phase will evaluate recommended stun-placement points on the heads of different cattle classes and breeds. Researchers will determine whether those locations are likely to reach critical brain structures, including the thalamus. Initial testing will involve cadaver heads supplied by regional slaughter facilities.
The project will focus on five cattle groups with limited existing research: fed Bos indicus cattle, fed Wagyu cattle, cull Jersey cows, cull Holstein breeding bulls and fed Holstein cattle. Anderson said the findings could help processors select appropriate equipment and placement techniques for different animals.
“The research we’re doing will inform the guidance we give processors about the tools and placements that will be best suited for the animals they might get in their plants,” Anderson said.
Olivia Barber, a 2025 UWRF animal science graduate from Mosinee pursuing a master’s degree in agricultural education with an animal welfare focus, will assist Anderson through the Dairy Innovation Hub funding.
“I am very grateful to be able to join this team and conduct my own animal welfare research,” Barber said. “This research will help provide a more definitive and evidence-based placement location for a variety of cattle classes, which will overall help to improve animal welfare.”
Anderson has conducted related research at UWRF for about seven years. She plans to present the project at the Dairy Innovation Hub Dairy Summit on November 17, 2026, at UW-Platteville. The team expects to produce six peer-reviewed publications and share results through conferences and training programs.
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Categories: Wisconsin, Education, Livestock, Dairy Cattle