title: Transport versus on-farm slaughter of bison: physiological stress, animal welfare, and avoidable trim losses.
abstract: Ranched bison are typically less acclimated to handling than are domesticated livestock, suggesting that they might be more vulnerable to handling and transportation stressors. Grain-finished bison were slaughtered on-farm (n = 11), or held for 48 h, transported to a research abattoir, held in lairage for 18 h, and then slaughtered (n = 11). An additional group (n = 10) was sampled at a conventional fixed location abattoir. Measures included serum cortisol and corticosterone concentrations during on-farm handling and exsanguination, serum glucose, creatinine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and trim losses. Transport was associated with an increase in trim loss. On-farm, glucose was elevated, CPK was positively associated with handling order over 12 h, and corticosterone concentration, although lower than cortisol concentration, showed a greater response to prolonged disturbance. With appropriate on-farm handling facilities, the use of on-farm slaughter and mobile abattoir could avoid muscle damage and trim losses, and mitigate injuries sustained during handling and transport of bison.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Pain and Animal Welfare Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (McCorkell, Wynne-Edwards, Caulkett, Boysen, Pajor, UCVM class of 2012); Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Camrose, Alberta (Galbraith); Agriculture Canada, Lacombe, Alberta (Schaefer).
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCorkell
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wynne-Edwards
authors.forename: Jayson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Galbraith
authors.forename: Al
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Caulkett
authors.forename: Soren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.forename: Ed
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pajor
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers; D016164:Bison / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014186:Transportation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D003402:Creatine Kinase