Post Farm Gate Welfare Concerns in Pigs and Poultry: Transport and Slaughter

Question 1

Why transport animals?

Answer 1

Within the boundary of the production unit.
For breeding purposes.
To other production units following sale.
To auction markets.
To centralised slaughter plants.

Question 2

1. How many abattoirs kill 75% of animals in England and Wales? – Advantage of this number?
   – Disadvantage of this number?
2. Numbers for pigs slaughtered per week and number of plants.
3. Pigs processed per year for human consumption?
4. Poultry animals processed and number of plants in one week?
5. Poultry animals processed per year?

Answer 2

1. 60. – More control.
       – Journey times have been increased.
2. 167,325 pigs at 126 plants.
3. 11 million.
4. 17 million poultry at 66 establishments per week.
5. 1 billion.

Question 3

1. What stress types are caused by transport of animals?
2. What can result from these stresses?

Answer 3

1. Physical, physiological and psychological.
2. Trauma and mortality.

Question 4

Welfare issues associated with transport.

Answer 4

Confinement.
Isolation or mixing with strange animals.
Noise and vibration.
Extremes of heat and cold.
Hunger and thirst (Don’t have to be fed for 8 hours).
Fatigue and/or injury.
Mortality.

Question 5

1. What does SCAHAW stand for?
2. What did they report in 2002?
3. What does WATO stand for?

Answer 5

1. Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Welfare.
2. The longer the journey, the worse the welfare of animals due to fatigue, steady energy decline, increasing susceptibility to existing infections and to new pathogens (usually in transport from one country to another).
3. Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 2006.

Question 6

OV role as observe unloading at abattoir.

Answer 6

Observe if animal was fit to be transported.
Observe if vehicle was fit to transport the animal.
Report any issues to the Local Authority.

Question 7

WATO guidance.

Answer 7

• No person shall transport animals in a way likely to cause injury or undue suffering to them.
• No animal shall be transported unless it is fit for
  the intended journey, and all animals shall be transported in conditions guaranteed not to cause them injury or unnecessary suffering.

Question 8

WATO guidance cont.

Answer 8

Animals that are injured or that present physiological weaknesses or pathological processes shall not be considered fit for transport and in particular if:
- They are unable to move independently without pain or to walk unassisted.
- They present a severe open wound or prolapse.
- They are pregnant females, females who have given birth in the previous week or neonates.

Question 9

What does the Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2015 legislate?

Answer 9

The business operator and any person engaged in the movement or lairaging of animals must ensure that animals which have experienced pain or suffering during transport or following arrival, and animals which are too young to take solid feed, are killed immediately.

The welfare conditions of each consignment of animals shall be systematically assessed by the animal welfare officer or a person reporting directly to the animal welfare officer upon arrival to identify priorities, by determining which animals have specific needs and the corresponding measures to be taken.

Question 10

In what circumstance may a sick or injured animal be considered fit for transport?

Answer 10

If they are slightly injured or ill and transport would not cause additional suffering; in cases of doubt, veterinary advice shall be sought.

Question 11

Loading and unloading..
1. Facilities requirements?

Answer 11

1. Should prevent injury and suffering and minimise excitement and distress during animal movements as well as ensure the safety of the animals.
   Surfaces shall not be slippery and lateral projections shall be provided so as to prevent animals from escaping.
   Lifting platforms and upper floors shall have safety barriers so as to prevent animals falling or escaping during loading and unloading operations.

Question 12

1. Ramp angle requirements for sheep, cattle, and pigs.
2. Requirement if slope steeper than 10 degrees?
3. Relationship between stocking density and mortality.

Answer 12

1. Sheep, goats and cattle other than calves = 26.5 degrees.
   Pigs = 20 degrees.
2. Fit ramps with a system, such as provided by foot battens which ensure that the animals climb or go down without risks or difficulties.
3. Higher stocking density, higher mortality.

Question 13

1. Number of birds on a standard broiler lorry?
2. Why is transport of poultry such a welfare concern?

Answer 13

1. 5000-7392 birds.
2. They are taken from a highly controlled environment to an uncontrolled environment in transport, which can result in a potentially fatal variation in bird temperature.

Question 14

1. Heat production and water loss per bird.
2. Why is close environmental control in transport modules difficult? – result of this?
3. “Normal” body temperature of a chicken?
4. Fatal extremes of body temperature in chickens?
5. Define thermal comfort zone.

Answer 14

1. Produce 10-15 watts of heat and lose 10.5g per hour of water.
2. On most vehicles, ventilation is passive. – Temperature variation throughout the load.
3. 41.5C.
4. <30C and 46C.
5. Conditions in which a bird is likely to be able to maintain body temperature and not have to work excessively hard to do so by shivering or panting.

Question 15

1. What is the thermal comfort zone of a chicken?
2. Airflow direction through the moving vehicle – explain.
   – Due to this, where is cold stress likely to occur in the vehicle? – Heat stress?

Answer 15

1. 8C-30C in open space.
   8C-18C around the transport module.
2. From back to front – vehicle punches hole in the air at the front and then there is low pressure air behind the vehicle being sucked in.
3. Back of the vehicle. – front of the vehicle.

Question 16

Common causes of death on arrival at the abattoir in birds from most to least common. – Give %.

Answer 16

Congestive heart failure – 51%
Physical damage ‘trauma’. – 35%
Unknown. – 11%
Neck dislocation. – 3%

Question 17

DOA – the final insult.

Answer 17

Indicates ultimate insult to bird welfare.
Indicates complete loss of economic value – majority of which would have been fir for human consumption.
When DOA rate increases, welfare of remaining live birds is also likely to have been affected regardless of cause of death.
– Meat quality is also then affected.