title: Welfare of Pigs Being Transported over Long Distances Using a Pot-Belly Trailer during Winter and Summer.
abstract: A total of 2,145 pigs were transported for 8 h in summer (six trips) and winter (five trips) using a pot-belly trailer accommodating pigs in four locations (upper deck or UD, bottom-nose or BN, middle deck or MD and bottom deck or BD). Heart rate of pigs during loading and transportation and lactate and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations in exsanguination blood were measured. Meat quality was evaluated in the Longissimus thoracis (LT), Semimembranosus (SM) and Adductor (AD) muscles. During summer, pigs loaded in the UD and MD had higher (P < 0.05) heart rate at loading compared to those located in the BD and BN. Blood lactate and CK concentrations were higher (P < 0.001) in winter than in summer. Lactate concentration was higher (P = 0.01) in the blood of pigs transported in the BN. Pigs transported in the BN had higher pHu values in the LT, SM and AD muscles (P = 0.02, P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively) and lower (P = 0.002) drip loss values in the SM muscle. This study confirms that some locations within the PB trailer have a negative impact on the welfare of pigs at loading and during transport with more pronounced effects in the winter due to the additive effect of cold stress.
authors.affiliation: Inc., Ange Gardien, QC, J0E 1E0, Canada. Jean-Paul.Laforest@fsaa.ulaval.ca.|Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada. Jean-Paul.Laforest@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: Prairie Swine Centre, Saskatoon, SK, S7H 5N9, Canada. hgonyou@shaw.ca.
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gonyou
authors.affiliation: Dairy and Swine and Development Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 0C8, Canada. storrey@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Torrey
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal & Poultry Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada. twidowsk@uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Widowski
authors.affiliation: University of Guelph, Alfred Campus, Alfred, ON, K0B 1A0, Canada. RBergeron@alfredc.uoguelph.ca.
authors.forename: Renée
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A9, Canada. trever.crowe@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Trever
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Crowe
authors.affiliation: Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada. Jean-Paul.Laforest@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
authors.forename: Jean-Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Laforest
authors.affiliation: Dairy and Swine and Development Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M 0C8, Canada. luigi.faucitano@agr.gc.ca.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Faucitano
keywords: blood metabolites; heart rate; pigs; pork quality; season; transport