Effect of transport time on welfare and meat quality in pigs

Keeping pigs in lairage provides a buffer to supply the slaughter line and allows the pigs to recover from the stress of transport. It has implications for the pigs' welfare by influencing their behaviour and ease of handling. In terms of pork quality, optimal lairage times for most pigs in the UK are probably one to three hours. Shorter lairage times are associated with more pale, soft, exudative (PSE) meat and longer times are associated with more dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat, more skin blemishes caused by fighting, and a lower carcase yield. However, when pigs have not been previously stressed by handling procedures, resting them in lairage may have no beneficial effects on the pigs' welfare or meat quality. At very high environmental temperatures there is evidence that a holding period of less than one hour may help to reduce the number of PSE carcases. At temperatures above 10 degrees C showering the pigs with water is beneficial. Fasting times need to be controlled to minimise the potential loss of carcase yield while reducing the volume of gut contents to reduce the risk of carcase contamination. Lairages can act as reservoirs of infection by pathogenic bacteria and there is evidence that longer holding times increase the risk of cross-contamination.

Optimal lairage times and conditions for slaughter pigs: a review.

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1093&context=ans_pubs

Review:Transport Losses in Market Weight Pigs: I. A Review of Definitions, Incidence, and Economic Impact

http://www.ancoporc.com/pdf/Meat%20Science_2006.pdf

Influence of season, distance and mixed loads on the physical and carcass integrity of pigs transported to slaughter.

To determine the influence of slaughter transports carried out under commercial conditions, 162 pigs weighing 98 kg and of both sexes were studied. A total of seven transports were performed in summer and in winter conditions, with durations of 1 h and 13 h 15 min within each season. Cortisol, glucose, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin and total protein serum concentrations were measured. All variables increased during transport and decreased during lairage ( P < 0.001), with cortisol values being 3.47 ± 0.19, 8.52 ± 0.28, and 6.96 ± 0.18 µg/dl at loading, unloading and exsanguinations, respectively, except for glucose (0.54 ± 0.03, 0.44 ± 0.04, and 0.86 ± 0.03 g/l). Short journeys did not allow the total recovery from the loading stress. A certain level of dehydration was observed, especially during lairage on the longest journeys (increase of 6.87 ± 1.29 g/l for total proteins; P < 0.01). Winter transports were slightly more stressful ( P < 0.01 for cortisol and LDH, and P < 0.001 for CPK), with poorer recovery during lairage (CPK decrease being -141 ± 559 and -2 906 ± 730 IU/l for winter and summer journeys, respectively; P < 0.01). Females showed higher stress reactivity. Genetics modulated the effect of the rest of influencing factors, with Nn individuals showing a rougher reaction in short and winter conditions, but with lower dehydration levels. Under Mediterranean commercial conditions, stress in transported slaughter pigs was largely determined by season and genetics, so that an adaptation of handling procedures to these seasonal variations appears crucial if transport stress is to be reduced. Also, an improvement in stress resistance could be obtained by controlling the halothane gene of pigs.

/pdf/serum-stress-parameters-in-pigs-transported-to-slaughter-2bat7yzbns.pdf

Serum stress parameters in pigs transported to slaughter under commercial conditions in different seasons

A haulage company, transporting pigs for a marketing group, monitored information about journeys and kept records of deaths in transit (DIT). The records were analysed and factors other than genetic ones, which may contribute to the rate of DIT were considered. A strict seasonal effect was not apparent, but where conditions were hot and wet there was an increase in DIT. There was also a "time of day" effect, with transport in the afternoon showing a higher rate of DIT than transport in the morning. It was observed that if pigs were deemed dirty at loading then DIT was more likely. Clean pigs at loading could indicate that hygienic and environmental conditions in the finishing stage were good. Individual producers showed a wide variation in their rate of DIT, with some producers regularly experiencing a high level. It was concluded that routine monitoring of the rate of DIT and transport conditions could help to pinpoint the source, and possible cause , of the problem. In addition, information that helps in the understanding of transit deaths is important because if stress in the period from selection to slaughter can be reduced, there should be both economic as well as welfare benefits.

Factors influencing pig deaths during transit: an analysis of drivers reports

Abattoir observations of the weights ofstomachs and their contents in pigs slaughtered at known times after their last feed

Lairage staff at 11 abattoirs were asked to rate which producers regularly provided pigs which were 'easy' (EH) or 'difficult' (DH) to handle on a scale of 1 (very DH) to 5 (very EH). A postal questionnaire was then sent to the 4 or 5 producers sending the most EH and the 4 or 5 producers sending the most DH pigs to each abattoir. Of 105 questionnaires sent, those to 26 EH and 27 DH systems were returned. The median number of replies per abattoir was 2 for both EH and DH systems. In most systems (77

The behaviour of pigs in lairage in relation to their post-weaning management: results of a postal survey

The effect of the presence of heart-rate monitors on the behaviour of group housed sows

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Factors influencing pig deaths during transit: an analysis of drivers reports

Abattoir observations of the weights ofstomachs and their contents in pigs slaughtered at known times after their last feed

The behaviour of pigs in lairage in relation to their post-weaning management: results of a postal survey

The effect of the presence of heart-rate monitors on the behaviour of group housed sows