Reduction of carcass yield in transported pigs.

Abstract

AbstractPigs (53‐70 kg) in a non‐fasted state were either not transported or subjected to a journey lasting for 1 h or 6 h prior to slaughter. Pigs given the short transport lost 0.6% and pigs given the long transport 2.3% of their initial live weight. After lairage for 1 h with access to water, all pigs were killed 8 h after their last feed. Compared with pigs not transported before slaughter, killing out percentage was slightly, but not significantly, lowered in the short transport group and significantly (P<0.05) reduced in the long transport group. The loss in carcass weight of the latter group amounted to 2.1% of the carcass weight of the untransported control pigs. Overall, killing out percentage and liver weight expressed as a percentage of liveweight were negatively correlated with the percentage loss of live weight in transport (P<0.02). The carcass weight loss on chilling was not influenced by treatment. Measurements of adrenal ascorbic acid suggested that most of the stress of transport occurred during the loading and first hour of the journey. Transported pigs drank more water in lairage, particularly those transported for 6 h which also had a higher total protein concentration in their plasma (P<0.05). Plasma creatine phosphokinase activity was not influenced by transport. It is suggested that enforced deprivation of water is an important contributing factor to the weight loss of pigs during transport but that physical activity is not.