Abstract
The objective of this study was evaluate the effect of pig fasting time at farm (TJG= 9, 12, 15 or 18 hours) and the pen position into the lorry’s livestock compartment (PBO= anterior, middle or rear), deck (PPI= lower or upper) and side (PLA= left or right) on swine and carcass skin bruises occurrence and swine resting behaviour on lairage pens at abattoir. One hundred ninety two females weighing 133.1±10.9 kg from two finishing pig farms were evaluated. A high percentage of pigs with skin bruises were observed at the farm (53.7%), before loading (80.7%), after unloading (91.2%) and before slaughtering (95.8%). Pigs submitted to a TJG of 15 hours presented lower incidence of skin injuries at loading and higher incidence of injuries at downloading and the carcasses had higher incidence of lesions generated by fights when compared to pigs submitted to TGJ of 12 hours. Pigs transported in anterior lorry’s compartment had lower incidence of skin damage on carcass due to density that those transported in the middle position. It is concluded that pigs submitted to 15 hours of fasting time at farm present higher incidence of skin bruises. Pigs transported in anterior lorry’s compartment had lower incidence of skin damage than pigs hold in middle lorry’s compartment. The fasting time at farm had no effect on pigs resting behaviour in abattoir lairage pens. KEY WORDS: Carcass evaluation, heavy-weight slaughter pigs, pig skin injuries index, pig slaughter conditions, pre-slaughter management. Key words : Carcass evaluation, heavy-weight slaughter pigs, pig skin injuries index, pig slaughter conditions, pre-slaughter management
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