Assessment of cattle welfare at a commercial slaughter plant in the northwest of Mexico

Slaughter plants have been undergoing radical transformations in recent years due to the need to increase efficiency and incorporate new technologies for the improvement of the infrastructure, animal welfare, and product quality. The aim of this study was to assess the cattle welfare status during t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical animal health and production 2012-03, Vol.44 (3), p.497-504
Main Authors: Miranda-de la Lama, Genaro C., Leyva, Iván G., Barreras-Serrano, Alberto, Pérez-Linares, Cristina, Sánchez-López, Eduardo, María, Gustavo A., Figueroa-Saavedra, Fernando
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abattoirs - standards
Animal Welfare
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bleeding
Carcasses
Cattle - physiology
Electric Stimulation
Guideline Adherence
Handling (Psychology)
Life Sciences
Male
Meat - standards
Mexico
Original Research
Radicals
Slaughter
Transformation
Unloading
Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science
Vocalization, Animal
Zoology
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Summary:Slaughter plants have been undergoing radical transformations in recent years due to the need to increase efficiency and incorporate new technologies for the improvement of the infrastructure, animal welfare, and product quality. The aim of this study was to assess the cattle welfare status during the unloading, lairage, stunning, bleeding and quantify bruising incidence at a commercial slaughter plant in the northwest of Mexico. We monitored 8,118 cattle during the unloading, lairage, stunning, bleeding, and carcass bruise incidence. Our results showed that in the unloading stage, 2% of the cattle vocalized, 5% were prodded with an electric goad, and 4% either slipped or fell. In the lairage stage, 12% of the animals vocalized, 80% prodded with an electric goad, and 8% of the animals slipped or fell. In the stunning stage, 10% of the animals vocalized, 67% prodded with an electric goad, and 15% of the animals slipped or fell. Ninety-five percent of the animals were stunned with a single shot, and 51% of the animals were effectively desensitized. Ninety-two percent of the carcasses had some type of bruise. Although the slaughter plant had adequate infrastructure and stringent operational standards, in all of the stages except unloading handling had an impact on the welfare of the animals being slaughtered.
ISSN:0049-4747
1573-7438
DOI:10.1007/s11250-011-9925-y