White meat slaughter and processing

Question 1

Which factors cause fluctuations in poultry production?

Answer 1

• Energy prices
• CO2
• Staff shortages
• Fluctuations in demand

Question 2

Compare free range vs in house birds and how each are susceptible to infection

Answer 2

• Free range tend to be slower growing breeds that are associated with more resistance to Campylobacter
• High numbers of birds in both processes but transmission of infection will be much bigger in house

Question 3

What is the major risk of failing to remove litter?

Answer 3

Will cause increased ammonia, causing dermatitis

Question 4

Which acute, infectious diseases are linked to fast growth rates of the birds

Answer 4

• Respiratory, intestinal and nervous signs
• Growth disturbances
• Parasitism
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Changes due to behaviour e.g. cannibalism

Question 5

Which factors are important in the duty of care of owners and keepers of birds

Answer 5

• Strict hygiene and biosecurity measures,

- Vaccination or medication strategies to prevent and/or control certain endemic diseases

Question 6

Which diseases are of most important in Poultry spp?

Answer 6

• Newcastle disease
• Avian Influenza
• Salmonella
• Campylobacter
• Parasites (Hexamitiasis, Trichomoniasis, Coccidiosis, red mite)
• Lameness (litter maintenance)

Question 7

When does the poultry health scheme apply?

Answer 7

• Export > 20 birds or hatching eggs to another EU member state or countries that require compliance with EU legislation
• Sell birds or eggs to other PHS members
• Export to countries that require compliance with EU legislation

Question 8

Which testing requirements come under the poultry health scheme?

Answer 8

• Salmonella: each flock at least once a year
• Mycoplasma: 4 weeks before point of lay and then every 12 weeks thereafter during lay.
• Tested in a laboratory officially approved by Defra

Question 9

What is the most commonly reported human GI pathogen?

Answer 9

Campylobacter

Question 10

How is Campylobacter transmitted to humans?

Answer 10

Faecal-oral route, usually by the consumption of contaminated foods or water

Question 11

Apramycin sulphate has a withdrawal period in chickens (meat) of how long?

Answer 11

7 days

Do not use in laying chickens when eggs are intended for human consumption.

Question 12

The Salmonella National Control Programmes dont apply to?

Answer 12

• Farms with < 2000 chickens

- for private use rather than for sale or sell meat direct to consumers or to local retailers

Question 13

Who enforces poultry standards on site?

Answer 13

• Official veterinarian
• Meat hygiene inspectors
• PIA (poultry inspection assistant)

Question 14

What are the key points to note of transporting poultry?

Answer 14

• Cant be on the trailer for longer than 12 hours – cannot be fed or watered during this period
• Need high levels of ventilation

Question 15

There is a statutory requirement for on-farm testing of?

Answer 15

Salmonella - each broiler flock within the period of three weeks before slaughter
The FCI must state whether the result was positive or negative.

Question 16

Is salmonella results are positive what action must take place?

Answer 16

FCI, the FBO must take the following action:

• Retain the affected batch(es) and slaughter them at the end of the production day
• After slaughter, undertake a full cleansing and disinfection of all equipment and machinery, including changing the water in the scalding tanks, and renewing the water in the spin

Question 17

What are the alternatives to the official veterinarian ante-mortem inspection?

Answer 17

Health Certificate (3 days) signed on farm by an approved vet including all this information.

Question 18

Which factors need to be considered at the lairage?

Answer 18

• Light
• Smell
• Stress
• Temperature
• Ventilation

Question 19

Which gas is used to stun poultry?

Answer 19

CO2 - not ducks

Question 20

What are the 3 concerns with stunning poultry?

Answer 20

• Pre-stun shocks
• Suspension time
• Conscious state

Question 21

Describe the tonic phase in poultry

Answer 21

• Loss of posture followed by a short initial phase of kicking
• After this the bird will become rigid with its legs flexed beneath it and the neck may arch over the body before falling forward

Question 22

Describe the clonic phase in poultry

Answer 22

• Follows the tonic phase
• Kicking of varied intensity
• No voluntary movements inc rhythmic breathing

Question 23

What are the rules surrounding manual dislocation for slaughter

Answer 23

• Only permitted up to 3 kg live weight

- A person cannot do more than 70 birds per day.

Question 24

What are the requirements for a soft and hard scald

Answer 24

~50–51 °C for 3.5 min - ‘soft’ scald

~56–58 °C for 2–2.5 min - ‘hard’ scald

Question 25

How are ducks processed differently?

Answer 25

• Dry plucking machine: The birds are stripped of feathers by machine, finishing being carried out by hand.
  Wax finishing:
• Hot paraffin wax is held in tanks at a temperature of 60oC.
• The carcases are removed and either sprayed with cold water or immersed in a cold water tank.
• The hardened wax, is stripped off by hand or by using a rubber-fingered drum plucking machine.
• Bleeding, defeathering scaling

Question 26

Where does inspection of carcasses occur in poultry?

Answer 26

• Following evisceration

- Prior to washing

Question 27

Refrigeration of poultry carcasses should occur until they are what temperature?

Answer 27

core temperature of 4 degrees

Question 28

In which situations would a healthmark for poultry be withheld?

Answer 28

1. Not undergone ante-mortem inspection
2. Derives from animals which are dead before slaughter, stillborn, unborn or slaughtered under the age of seven days
3. Animals affected by a generalised disease, such as generalised septicaemia, pyaemia, toxaemia or viraemia
4. Results from the trimming of sticking points
5. Water supply is found to have been contaminated and a risk to public health exists
6. No adequate inspection facilities rendering contamination or gross pathology inconspicuous