Abstract
ABSTRACT An investigation was made into the effects of different lairage times and the position of chicken crates during transport to the slaughterhouse on the biochemical and hematological profile and physical parameters of broilers, such as color and pH of their breast meat. The treatments were defined by the animals slaughtered after 0, 2, 4 and 6 hours of lairage time at the slaughterhouse, transported in crates located in the top and bottom layers of the truck. It was found that increasing the lairage time at the slaughterhouse to over two hours reduced the number of lymphocytes and increased the heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio and the basophil count in the hemogram. In addition, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and cholesterol levels increased and plasma triglyceride and glucose levels decreased. The position of the crates in the truck altered the creatine kinase (CK) activity, and the highest enzyme activity was found in birds transported in the top layer of crates in the truck. Furthermore, the long lairage time in the slaughterhouse increased the pH and the value of a* (redness value) and decreased the lightness value of breast fillets. The interaction significant between 4 and 6 hours of lairage time and the position of the crate in the top layer of the truck favored the development of dark, firm, dry (DFD) meat.
Highlights
Lairage times in poultry slaughterhouses usually range from 2 to 4 hours, but may vary considerably depending on the logistics and planning of the processing plant. Vieira et al (2011), who reported pre-slaughter statistics for a Brazilian poultry processing plant, stated that the average lairage time was 2 hours and 58 min, and the maximum was 17 hours and 38 min.Brazilian regulations generally recommend techniques for pre-slaughter handling that consider animal welfare (Brasil, 2000), but do not establish a specific standard lairage time in the poultry slaughterhouse (Brasil, 1998)
In order to determine the total fasting time, one must take into account the pre-slaughter fasting strategy applied at the poultry farm, which should be at least 6 to 8 hours (Brazil, 1998), plus the distance from the farm to the abattoir, and the lairage time at the processing plant
The objective of this study is to investigate the effects induced by different lairage times and positions of chicken transportation crates on the metabolism of broilers, based on laboratory tests and the physical properties of their meat
Summary
Vieira et al (2011), who reported pre-slaughter statistics for a Brazilian poultry processing plant, stated that the average lairage time was 2 hours and 58 min, and the maximum was 17 hours and 38 min. Brazilian regulations generally recommend techniques for pre-slaughter handling that consider animal welfare (Brasil, 2000), but do not establish a specific standard lairage time in the poultry slaughterhouse (Brasil, 1998). It is important that poultry be left in lairage sheds for the minimum time necessary to ensure the optimal flow of the slaughter operation and the animals’ welfare, and the ideal recommended lairage time is one hour, and no more than two hours (Ludtke et al, 2010). Birds that are left waiting in the truck for too long may present high mortality rates (Nidjam et al, 2004) and dehydration, since they have no access to food and water (Ludtke et al, 2010)
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