Longer journeys to processing plants are associated with higher mortality in broiler chickens.
1. The number of broilers recorded as dead on arrival (DOA) in 1113 journeys to a poultry processing plant was related to the length of the journeys. The average journey time was 3.3 h and the maximum recorded was 9 h. 2. Overall, 0.194% of 3.2 million birds were DOA. Mortality was higher for journeys which took longer. For journeys lasting less than 4 h the incidence of dead birds was 0.156%; for longer journeys the incidence was 0.283%. 3. There was some evidence that it was time of journey, rather than distance travelled, that was more important in determining mortality.
Warriss
P D
PD
Department of Meat Animal Science, University of Bristol, England.
Bevis
E A
EA
Brown
S N
SN
Edwards
J E
JE
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D005525:Food-Processing Industry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation; D006113:United Kingdom