Slaughter of pregnant cows in the municipal abbattoir of Pijijiapan, Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To quantify the percentage of breeding heifers slaughtered and the stage of gestation of the product, in the municipal slaughterhouse of Pijijiapan, Chiapas. Approximation: A large number of breeding heifers are sent to the slaughterhouse due to various factors such as the few gestations diagnostic tests that are carried out in the field, as well as erroneous diagnoses. Another cause is the dry season, in which the forage capacity is reduced, and the producer must dispose of animals in his productive unit, including breeding heifers, thus decreasing the population of the cattle herd. This situation can be considered as an animal welfare problem. Methodology: The total number of cattle slaughtered in four months was recorded, as well as the number of females and it was recorded whether they were pregnant or not and the gestation period of the calf. Results: Cattle individuals (428) were slaughtered, of which 399 were females (93.22%) and 29 males (6.78%). Of the females, 211 (53%) were pregnant, 39.81% in the first third of gestation, 27.48% in the second and 32.22% in the third. Limitations: It is necessary to increase the period of the study and not only in this municipality, but also to implement similar research it in other slaughterhouses in Chiapas, in order to understand this problem better