Pre slaughter handling of cattle: the availability of water during the lairage period.
A comparison was made of the effect of providing or denying water to steers during the last 20 h before slaughter on carcase weight, bruising, muscle pH, and during the dressing process on the numbers of rumens from which ingesta was split and the number of heads and tongues condemned because of contamination with ingesta. All cattle were offered water from arrival at the abattoir until the start of the treatment period. In one experiment the steers were rested for 24 or 48 h after a 120 km journey before being slaughtered, while in a second experiment they rested for 66 h after a 725 km journey. Giving steers access to water until they were slaughtered did not affect adversely carcase weight, bruise score, muscle pH or the incidence of ingesta spillage from rumens. The number of condemned heads and tongues was not consistently related to the availability of water. In the absence of any adverse effects it is recommended that cattle be provided with water during the lairage period.
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D004326:Drinking; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000032:analysis; D012146:Rest; D014868:Water Deprivation