JOURNEY TIME AND THE EVOLUTION OF SOME WELFARE INDICATORS IN LAMBS DUE TO BE SLAUGHTERED

Abstract

Research has been conducted on a number of 62 lambs transported in optimal conditions over different journey lengths (8h, 14h) in view of their slaughter. The research has monitored the effects the journey time has on the welfare of lambs due to be slaughtered. We have monitored the variation of some physiological (heart rate and weight) and biochemical indicators (the level of plasmatic cortisol, glucose, urea, creatininphosphokinase and plasmatic proteins), as well as behaviour expressed following journey in the slaughter house folds. The results indicated the fact that lambs responded differently to stress factors during journey according to its length, in comparison to the ones located in the slaughterhouse. The increase in cortisol levels was recorded immediately after the vehicle departed and kept high values after 14h of journey in comparison to the marker lot. The heart rate increased due to loading and unloading onto and off the transportation means. The glucose level recorded an immediate drop following the vehicle departure while uraemia recorded an increase right after departure and kept a constant value after the 14h journey in comparison to the lambs transported over an 8h journey and the marker lot. The lambs behaviour was different following unloading from the transportation means depending on the journey time and compared to those that waited in the slaughter house folds. Legal journey time should not be exceeded in the case of lambs destined to slaughtering due to their loss of weight (6-7%) recorded in the slaughterhouse 24h after departure