AM and PM White Meat

Question 1

What age are commerical broilers slaughtered at? What is the legislation surrounding organic chicken?

Answer 1

Cannot be slaughtered before 81d
- different slow growing breeds used
> standard 4-7 weeks

Question 2

Where are the AM and PM inspection points on a poultry slaugheter line?

Answer 2

> Before shackling
at plucking (after water baths)
at evisceration

Question 3

Commonest causes of DOA

Answer 3

• carelessness of handlers
• heart failure
  > spikes caused by extreme temperature changes (birds not good thermoregulators)

Question 4

FSA checks

Answer 4

• animal ID
• animal welfare
• conditions relevant to animal and public health

Question 5

Random sample for each batch.. What is looked at?

Answer 5

• postures
• respiratory
• cleanliness
• wattle colour
• FCI
  > AM inspection can also be carried out on farm of origins
• will need a veterinary health certificate

Question 6

How would you deal with a salmonella+ batch from FCI evidence

Answer 6

Slaughter last of the day to prevent contamination

Question 7

PM inspection - OV duties

Answer 7

• inspect representative sample of birds viscera and body cavities
• thorough inspection random sample of birds rejected of every batch
• investigate potential causes of carcasses unfit for human consumption
• health certificate checks of birds for foie gras production or delayed evisceration poultry (slaughtered at farm)

Question 8

Which eggs are most likely to have salmonella

Answer 8

• catering eggs cheap from abroad
• not red lion
• weird strains salmonella too

Question 9

Pericarditis, peri-hepatitis and peritonitis - category and main casues of each

Answer 9

• > otal condemnantion as systemic dz usually infectious cause
  pericarditis
• earl/late life
• E. COli and Salmonella cause often 2* to viral respiratory dz
  > perihepatitis
• most commonly E. Coli, sometimes salmonella
  > PEritonitits
• 2* to salpingitis, trauma, enteritis, hepatitits
• end of lay hens egg peritonititis
• usually E Coli
• pasturella may also be found

Question 10

What is Oregon ddisease? Category?

Answer 10

• discolouration of supracoideus muscle
• d/t periods intense muscular activity -> occlusionblood supply -> deep pectoral myopathy
  > Action: trimming partial condemnation

Question 11

Why is the Whole carcasse often destroyed ?

Answer 11

• not worth the time/money to strip bits out even if whole carcasse not condemned

Question 12

Main causes of fractures and bruising

Answer 12

Catching and poor hanging technique

Question 13

Post mortem bleeding

Answer 13

NOT POSSIBLE NEED LIVE HEART TO BRUISE OR BLEED

Question 14

Main causes of fractures and bruising in poultry at farm level?

Answer 14

• thinning
• catching
• trauma by other birds
• poor housing design

Question 15

Categorise over scalding

Answer 15

2mm deep reject whole carcasse (tissues more susceptible to bacterial growth

Question 16

What do breast blisters indicate? Action to be taken?

Answer 16

• trim if not too deep, local condemnation
• or reject whole carcasse cat 2 if associated with systemic condition
• heavy birds with pododermatitis leg wekaness or bedding problems
• infectious agents: mycoplasma synovia, staph, pasturella (either from local trauma or extension of systemic infection)

Question 17

Causes of Coliform cellulitis. Action to be taken?

Answer 17

• big birds again, often slow feathering breeds with more prominent abdomen, ^ stocking density, and humidity
  > decision
• wet form or nonlocalised lesions (septicaemia) = total condemnantion
• dry form/localised lesions = partial condemnation
• d/t E. Coli

Question 18

Hat age are commercial broilers slaughetered

Answer 18

5-7 weeks (2 month cycles)

Question 19

Common causes DOA/DIL

Answer 19

• congestive heart failure
• trauma crates
  > thermal stress causes spikes
  > stress
  > infectious dz (highly pathogenic avian influenza strains)

Question 20

Ascites causes and decisisons

Answer 20

= R sided heart failure
- d/thigh growth rates, inadequate ventilation,
- gellified d/t movement plasma proteins
> Not infectious
- still total condemnation as systemic dz - Cat 2 or cat 3 depending on infectious organism implicated or not