Preslaughter welfare, transport and ante mortem inspection Flashcards
What percentage of a)lambs b) pigs c) Broilers die during transport?
a) 0.02% b) 0.07% c) 0.25%
What are the most common causes of DOA in pigs?
Hyperthermia, metabolic acidosis
What are the most common causes of DOA in sheep?
Smothering
Ill health
What are the most common causes of DOA in broilers?
Congestive heart failure, trauma
What does this chicken carcass show signs of?
Congestive heart failure - water belly
What is a common cause of death in trauma birds?
Haemorrhage of ruptured air sac
What are the four main fatal traumatic injuries in broilers?
Fractured/dislocated hip
Ruptured liver
Head trauma
Intraperitoneal haemorrhage other than liver
What percentage of cattle have bruising in
a) cattle
b) sheep
c) pigs?
a) 1.7%
b) 0.14%
c) 1.5%
Why is bruising a big problem?
Welfare and economic problem. Carcass downgrading, more trimming, has to go for processed meat
Why is important to gauge the stocking density in the trailer right?
Too many - get hyperthermia/bite/crushing
Too few - fall over
Bruising can also be caused by excessive use of driving devices e.g. electric probes, sticks
Where do most bruise lesions appear on cattle?
Why?
Shoulder region - crush injuries in transport
Why do you get red wing tips in chickens?
May be due to catching injury but more likely after stunning/death flapping,
More an economical problem than welfare problem
What percentage of a) broilers b) hens have broken bones
3% in broilers
29% in hens
much higher in hens as osteoporosis & calcium deficiency –> fragile bones
Light intensity - sudden increase means birds will go beserk and injure themselves
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to contact with barbed wire, nails etc?
Pigs, Cattle, Sheep
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to dog bites?
Sheep
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to horn raking?
Cattle, horn sheep
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to teeth marks?
Pigs
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to claw damage?
poultry
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to cages?
Fish - salmon
causes scale and skin damage
Which species are at risk of iinjury due to feather pecking?
Chickens and turkeys
Why is the rate of decline of pH in meat important? What conditions affect this?
Normally pH in meat decreases as glycogen is converted to lactic acid. Rate of decline is important for colour and tenderness
Dark Firm Dry (DFD) pork or Dark Cutting Beef = animal very stressed before slaughter, used up glycogen stores –> high pH and slow decline
Pale soft exudative pork (PSE) - stressed at time of slaughter, pH goes down and doesn’t get chance to come back up again
WHat pH is PSE meat at 45 minutes?
<6
What situations cause high pH dark meat in sheep?
over-exertion
Injury
What situations cause high pH dark meat in cattle?
long distance transport
fighting
What situations cause high pH dark meat in turkeys?
cold exposure
What situations cause high pH dark meat in pigs?
long distance transport
long periods without feed
long periods in lairage
fighting
over stocking
What situations cause high pH dark meat in rabbits?
Dehydration
What are the three ways to avoid high pH meat?
Reduce pre slaughter activity and stress
Allow recovery of muscle glycogen after stress
Enhance muscle glycogen storage
What are the implications of dehydration?
Welfare - Thirst, head ache
Difficult to remove skin
Sticky meat
Dark, tough meat
Smaller loin cut
BIG WELFARE PROB
What methods are there for avoiding heat stress in transport?
Passive ventilation, active ventilation
Cana you transport an animal on three legs?
No. Has to be weight baring on all 4 legs & be able to stand for duration of journey to transport
What should be done with casualty animals when they arrive?
Determine whether needs emergency slaughter (official vet)
If yes - take slaughter equipment to animal, don’t move it.
Ensure prompt stunning, bleeding and ivisceration as soon as arrives at abbattoir
Trace back the history to try and prevent repitition
Why is it illegal to do brain maceration following bolt gun stunning in the uk?
BSE risk
