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Transport, Slaughter, Pick-up

Effects of space allowance on behaviour during lairage, stress physiology, skin lesion scores, and meat quality of market pigs transported in an actively ventilated vehicle in the winter

By December 12th 2024January 14th, 2025No Comments

Document type: Scientific article published in Canadian Journal of Animal Science

Authors: Vanessa Pasquale, Luigi Faucitano, Nicolas Devillers, Sabine Conte, Renée Bergeron

Preview: A total of 1488 pigs were transported to slaughter using a mechanically ventilated vehicle in the winter in Canada. On each of six journeys, a sub-sample of 78 pigs were randomly assigned to two space allowances (0.46 or 0.53 m2/pig), distributed across six compartments, in two positions (near-front and near-rear) and three deck levels (top, middle, and bottom). Compartment ambient conditions (e.g., T°C and RH %) were monitored during transport, and pig behaviour was recorded during lairage. Blood lactate, hematocrit, creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, and meat quality in the longissimus (LM), semimembranosus (SM), and adductor (AD) muscles were assessed on a total of 108 pigs. Pigs transported at 0.53 m2/pig had greater blood hematocrit levels (P = 0.05), but lower blood CK concentrations at slaughter (P = 0.01). The top deck was colder during all transport events (P ≤ 0.001), and pigs transported in this location stood less in lairage compared to those transported on the bottom deck (P = 0.05). Pigs from the top deck showed lower lightness (L*) values in the LM and SM muscles (P = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). Overall, animal location had a greater impact than space allowance on animal welfare and meat quality of pigs.

From the Canadian Journal of Animal Science website