Use of exsanguination blood lactate to assess the quality of pre-slaughter pig handling.
The objective of these studies (Exp.1, n=76; Exp.2, n=140) was to characterize the relationship of pre-slaughter animal-handling events to exsanguination blood lactate concentration ([LAC]) in a commercial pork processing plant. Pearson correlations indicated relationships (P<0.05) between [LAC] and the number of times a pig jammed, backed up and reared (Exp.1), and [LAC] was correlated (P<0.05) with electric prod use and vocalization in response to prod use in the crowd pen, as well as jamming in the single-file chute (Exp. 2). Single degree of freedom contrasts indicated that pigs experiencing one or more events (i.e., jamming, rearing and/or backing up) while moving through a single-file chute had greater (P<0.03) [LAC] than pigs that did not experience these events in both experiments, whereas pigs prodded in the crowd pen had greater (P=0.03) [LAC] than pigs that were not prodded (Exp. 2). This study provides data demonstrating that specific pre-slaughter animal-handling events are related to post-slaughter [LAC] in a commercial setting.
Edwards
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Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1171, United States. lne@k-state.edu
Grandin
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Engle
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Porter
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Ritter
M J
MJ
Sosnicki
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Anderson
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D000003:Abattoirs; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D008460:Meat; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013552:Swine / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology
D019344:Lactic Acid