Abstract
Transport by land is an essential component for the commercialization of fattening pigs and can have a negative impact on animal welfare. In slaughterhouses, the presence of dead and non-ambulatory animals is an indicator of poor welfare during transport. The objective of the study was to identify risk factors associated with the frequency of dead and non-ambulatory pigs during transport. A survey was conducted in three Colombian slaughterhouses. Data were collected from 372 batches (n = 18,437 gilts barrows) and transported directly from the farms to the slaughterhouses. Each truck was individually evaluated; a structured survey was administered to drivers, non-ambulatory and dead pigs on arrival were identified and blood samples were obtained from non-ambulatory pigs to assess physiological indicators of stress. Mortality rates per batch at arrival ranged from 0.08 to 0.17% and prevalence of non-ambulatory pigs per batch ranged from 0.84 to 1.37%.The results of the multilevel mixed effects linear regression model identified the following as risk factors associated with the frequency of total transport losses: truck speed (P = 0.04), distance (P < 0.01), transport time (P < 0.01), load size (P < 0.01) and the driver (P < 0.01) including the farm as a fixed effect. This study identified risk factors that increased the probability of total transport losses during land transport under Colombian commercial conditions. But more research that involves commercial drivers is needed to develop effective strategies to improve Colombian pig's transportation chain.
Highlights
Land transport represents a multifactorial challenge for animals and is considered as an stressful time for pigs due to factors associated with food and water deprivation, environmental changes, social mixing, noise, contact with unknown handlers and the truck’s microclimate, among others (1)
The objective of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with the presence of dead and non-ambulatory pigs under Colombian pre-slaughter conditions
The load size ranged from 6 to 120 pigs, only one truck transported 216 animals
Summary
Land transport represents a multifactorial challenge for animals and is considered as an stressful time for pigs due to factors associated with food and water deprivation, environmental changes, social mixing, noise, contact with unknown handlers and the truck’s microclimate, among others (1). Animals have to make physiological and behavioral adaptations to respond to these stress factors (2). Stress during transport can affect the physiological condition of the animal, as well as its behavior (3). European legislation (4), state that “all animals shall be transported in conditions guaranteed not to cause them injury”, animals sent for slaughter with. A study in Canada have shown that sometimes, animals that suffer from certain conditions that compromise their ability to cope with transport (animals with painful conditions), can be transported if certain measures are taken, e.g., if sent for slaughter, they can only be transported locally and directly to the nearest suitable slaughterhouse, they must be segregated, loaded last, and unloaded first (7). Further research would be recommendable to provide new scientific knowledge on the subject, especially when applied to different handling conditions
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