Risk factors associated with pig pre-slaughtering losses

Dalla Costa, O A; Dalla Costa, F A; Feddern, V; Lopes, L d S; Coldebella, A; Gregory, N G; Monteiro de Lima, G J M

Abstract

The incidence of non-ambulatory non-injured (NANI), non-ambulatory injured (NAI) and dead pigs on-arrival at three Brazilian slaughterhouses were evaluated in 37,962 pigs to identify risk factors linked to them, besides carcass bruises and limb fractures. Total pre-slaughtering losses were 1.18%, in which NAI (0.39%) and NANI (0.37%) incidences contributed the most. A positive relation between on farm steeper ramp slope >20° and the incidence of NAI, NANI and dead pigs at unloading was found. Farm size, pigs/pen, enthalpy at loading, transportation time, truck loading order, muscle thickness and carcass weight, were identified as risk factors for pre-slaughtering losses. Loading procedures influenced the occurrence of limb fractures and bruises (which are a welfare issue and should be reduced). Therefore, personal training on pre-slaughter handling is essential to reduce the risk factors to improve animal welfare and avoid losses during the pre-slaughter process.

Citation

Dalla Costa, O. A., Dalla Costa, F. A., Feddern, V., Lopes, L. D. S., Coldebella, A., Gregory, N. G., & Monteiro de Lima, G. J. M. (2019). Risk factors associated with pig pre-slaughtering losses. Meat Science, 155, 61-68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.04.020

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 24, 2019
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2019
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 27, 2020
• Journal: Meat Science
• Print ISSN: 0309-1740
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 155
• Pages: 61-68
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.04.020
• Public URL: https://rvc-repository.worktribe.com/output/1380707