Slaughter Group Research Articles

Ultra-wideband microwave precisely and accurately predicts sheepmeat hot carcase GR tissue depth

A portable ultra-wideband microwave system (MiS) coupled with an antipodal slot Vivaldi patch antenna (VPA) was used as an objective measurement technology to predict sheep meat carcase GR tissue depth, tested against AUS-MEAT national accreditation standards. Experiment one developed the MiS GR tissue depth prediction equation using lamb carcasses (n = 832) from two slaughter groups. To create the prediction equations, a two layered machine learning stacking ensemble technique was used. The performance of this equation was tested within the dataset using a k-fold cross validation (k = 5), which demonstrated excellent precision and accuracy with an average R2 of 0.91, RMSEP 2.11, bias 0.39 and slope 0.03. Experiment two tested the prediction equation against the AUS-MEAT GR tissue depth accreditation framework which stipulates predictions from a device must assign the correct fat score, with a tolerance of ±2 mm of the score boundary, and 90% accuracy. For a device to be accredited three measurements captured within the same device, as well as measurements across three different devices, must meet the AUS-MEAT error thresholds. Three MiS devices scanned lamb carcases (n = 312) across three slaughter days. All three MiS devices met the AUS-MEAT accreditation thresholds, accurately predicting GR tissue depth 96.1–98.4% of the time. Between the different devices, the measurement accuracy was 99.4–100%, and within the same device, the measurement accuracy was 99.7–100%. Based on these results MiS achieved AUS-MEAT device accreditation as an objective technology to predict GR tissue depth.

Effects of Slaughter Weight and Muscle Types on Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of Holstein Friesian Bulls

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of slaughter weight and muscle types on carcass characteristics, chemical composition and meat quality characteristics of young Holstein Friesian bulls. For this purpose, the 21 young bulls were assigned to three experimental groups based on their weights at slaughter called lighter (LSW) (470.4±32.5kg), medium (MSW) (540.8±10.9 kg) and heavier (HSW) (605.8±28.3 kg). Animals in the HSW group resulted in higher carcass weight, LD area, crude protein content, pH24 value. On the other hand, L* and a* values color parameters and LD area per 100 kg carcass weight were significantly decreased with the increasing slaughter weight. The meat obtained from the LSW group were brighter and redder compared to other two slaughter groups. Additionally, there was a decreasing trend in the proportion of the non-carcass components with increasing of the slaughter weight. However, increasing of the slaughter weights led to a significant increase in the carcass measurements such as thoracic depth, carcass length, length of the round as well as width of the round. Although the crude protein content was significantly affected by both slaughter weights and muscle types, only muscle types were also significant sources of variation in percentages of moisture and crude ash.

Alveolar echinococcosis in fattening pigs in a conventional housing system

In a conventional fattening farm in southern Germany, up to 100 % of the livers of individual slaughter groups were condemned due to parasitic lesions during 2022. Intensification of antiparasitic metaphylaxis with fenbendazole to control Ascaris suum in the herd was unsuccessful. A pathomorphologic examination of 6 livers from two slaughter groups revealed oligofocal fibrotic inflammation. Histologically, chronic granulomatous hepatitis with massive involvement of eosinophilic granulocytes and central parasitic structures of a helminth were detected. Examination of the liver lesions by PCR revealed evidence of Echinococcus (E.) multilocularis. To determine the source of introduction into the herd, fecal samples were collected from semi-feral domestic cats near the feed mixer and in the corridor of the barn. Parasitologically, cestode eggs were detected in the fecal samples. Genome fragments of E. multilocularis could not be amplified by PCR. In the present case, domestic cats were suspected as the most likely source of entry into the herd. Control measures were aimed at preventing parasite entry by therapy of the domestic cats with antiparasitics. Differentially, no other possible pathogens could be detected by PCR and bacteriological examination.

177 Determining the Body Weight to Body Fat Conversion Factor for Angus, Charolais, and Brahman Growing Steers

Abstract The profitability of beef feedlot operations depends on accurately predicting the energy and nutrient requirements of the animal to optimize animal growth and carcass quality to meet market specifications. The composition of the gain (i.e., fat and protein) dictates the growth of the animal, and it is highly correlated with the body composition of the mature animal, assuming that the composition of body gain is constant for animals at the same maturity degree. Once the mature weight for a given body composition (i.e., fat) is known, the maturity degree can be estimated, and the equivalent body weight (EqBW) can be used to calculate energy requirements for growth. Several standard feeding systems and nutrition models use the adjusted final body weight (AFBW) at a known fat composition to estimate EqBW. The AFBW is the body weight (BW) at, usually, 28% empty body fat (EBF). Thus, AFBW can be estimated if a given empty BW (EBW) and composition are known, and an EBW-to-EBF factor is used to calculate AFBW from the current BW. Several nutrition models, including the Cattle Value Discovery System, have adopted the 14.26 kg of EBW for each % of EBF. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the amount of body mass deposited per change in body fat content of different breeds commonly used in Australia. We randomly allocated 30 Angus, 30 Brahman, and 29 Charolais into six slaughter groups (6 animals per breed per slaughter group) fed for up to 200 days. Internal organs and carcasses were dissected into physically separable fat, lean, and bones. When we regressed EBW on EBF, the overall regression yielded a slope of 11.2 ± 0.69 kg/%EBF [n = 89, r2 = 0.75, and root of the mean square error (RMSE) = 55.7 kg], likely not different from the 14.26 kg/% EBF. However, slopes were different among breeds (P < 0.001), i.e., there was an interaction between breeds and EBF when the breed was added to the ordinary least-square mean regression as a classificatory variable. The slopes were 16.5 ± 0.84 kg/% for Charolais (n = 29, r2 = 0.933, RMSE = 33.2 kg), 13.2 ± 0.73 kg /% for Angus (n = 30, r2 = 0.921, RMSE = 34.4 kg), and 10.1 ± 1.06 kg/% for Brahman (n = 30, r2 = 0.765, RMSE = 38.3 kg). When we regressed the amount of EBF on EBW, we obtained 0.40, 0.58, and 0.52 kg EBF/kg EBW for Charolais, Angus and Brahman, respectively. This confirms that Charolais deposited less EBF per unit of gain compared with Angus and Brahman. Given the similarity between the 14.26 kg/% to the overall value of 11.2 kg/%, we recommend using the 14.26 EBW-to-EBF factor to estimate AFBW when the genetic group is unknown.

PSI-29 Effects of Dietary Intake on Amino Acid Composition of Histotroph (Uterine Luminal fluid) in Nonpregnant Cows: Implications for Pregnancy

Abstract When the developing embryo enters the uterus, before the placenta develops, the embryo receives nourishment from endometrially derived histotroph produced by the uterine glands that remain functional throughout gestation. Throughout pregnancy, this histotroph remains necessary for proper embryonic development. Maternal nutrition may affect histotroph composition resulting in altered embryo development. The objectives were to determine the effects of dietary intake on histotroph amino acid (AA) concentrations. Eighteen multiparous nonpregnant cows (initial BW = 597 kg) were housed at the North Dakota State University Animal Nutrition and Physiology Center (n = 6 cows/pen). Cows were individually fed a TMR once daily via a Calan feeding system and had ad libitum access to fresh water. Cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments (n = 9/treatment): dietary intake designed to maintain body weight (CON) or dietary intake designed to lose body weight at a moderate rate (-0.7 kg/d; NEG), for 63 days. Slaughter group 1 contained 4 CON and 5 NEG cows, and group 2 contained 5 CON and 4 NEG cows. Cows were estrus-synchronized with the Co-Synch + CIDR protocol to ensure a common day of the estrous cycle at the time of slaughter (3 d after completion of the Co-Synch + CIDR protocol). When total uterine histotroph AA was calculated (luteal + non-luteal horns) and analyzed by treatment with group in the model, the differences were: CON > NEG for 1) Trp as % of essential AA, and 2) Ser as % of total AA (P = 0.04 and 0.05, respectively). Tendencies for total tract histotroph were observed for Phe and Trp as a % of total AA (P = 0.07 and 0.06, respectively) for CON > NEG. Luteal histotroph Ser as a % of total AA was greater (P = 0.05) for CON vs. NEG. When evaluating non-luteal histotroph, CON had greater (P < 0.05) Cys as a % of total AA compared with NEG cows. Non-luteal histotroph Arg concentration tended (P = 0.10) to be greater for NEG vs. CON. These results demonstrate that feed intake affects cow AA supply in the uterine histotroph, and these AA (Trp, Ser, Phe, Cys and Arg) may function in critical nutrient pathways, reproductive tract vascularization, and antioxidant production, which are necessary for optimal fetal development.

Effects of different starch structures on energy metabolism in pigs

BackgroundStarch is a major component of carbohydrates and a major energy source for monogastric animals. Starch is composed of amylose and amylopectin and has different physiological functions due to its different structure. It has been shown that the energy supply efficiency of amylose is lower than that of amylopectin. However, there are few studies on the effect of starch structure on the available energy of pigs. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of different structures of starch in the diet on the net energy (NE) of pigs using a comparative slaughter method and to establish a prediction equation to estimate the NE of starch with different structures. Fifty-six barrows (initial BW 10.18 ± 0.11 kg) were used, and they were housed and fed individually. Pigs were divided into 7 treatments, with 8 replicates for each treatment and 1 pig for each replicate. One of the treatments was randomly selected as the initial slaughter group (ISG). Pigs in the remaining treatments were assigned to 6 diets, fed with basic diet and semi-pure diets with amylose/amylopectin ratio (AR) of 3.09, 1.47, 0.25, 0.15 and 0.12, respectively. The experiment lasted for 28 d.ResultsResults showed that compared with the high amylose (AM) groups (AR 3.09 and 1.47), the high amylopectin (AP) group (AR 0.15) significantly increased the final BW, average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake of pigs (P < 0.05), but the F:G of the AM group was lower (P < 0.01). In addition, AR 0.15 and 0.12 groups have higher (P < 0.01) nutrient digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, gross energy and crude ash. Meanwhile, compared with other groups, AR 0.15 group has a higher (P < 0.05) NE intake and energy retention (RE). The regressive equation for predicting with starch structures was established as RE = 1,235.243 − 48.298AM/AP (R2 = 0.657, P = 0.05).ConclusionsIn conclusion, NE intake and RE of pigs augmented with the increase of dietary amylopectin content, indicating that diets high in amylopectin were more conducive to promoting the growth of pigs in the late conservation period.

37 Supplemented with Yucca Schidigera Extract to Feedlot Cattle Consuming Diets with or Without Monensin

Abstract This experiment compared performance and physiological responses of feedlot cattle receiving a saponin containing feed ingredient manufactured from purified extract of Yucca schidigera [Micro-Aid (MA); DPI Global, Porterville, CA] which replaced or was fed in conjunction with feed-grade antimicrobials. Yearling, Angus-influenced steers (n = 20) arrived at the experimental feedlot on d -19 and a shrunk body weight (BW; 309 ± 4 kg) was immediately recorded. Steers were ranked by BW and allocated to 4 groups of 30 steers each. Groups were housed in of 4 drylot pens equipped with GrowSafe automated feeding systems (4 bunks/pen) during the experiment (d -15 to 69). On d 0 groups were randomly assigned to receive a total mixed ration containing: monensin and tylosin (RT; 360 mg/steer daily from Rumensin and 90 mg/steer daily from Tylan; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN) and/or 4 g/steer daily of MA in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. During the experimental period non-supplemented (CON) steers received a total mixed ration containing no additives. Individual feed intake was recorded daily, and steer BW was recorded every 28 d and before slaughter. Steers were slaughtered according to BW and slaughter groups were balanced by treatments (36 steers on d 120, 36 steers on d 146, and 48 steers on d 174). Carcass traits were recorded upon slaughter. On d 55 eight rumen-cannulated heifers were housed with yearling steers (1 pair/pen). Pairs rotated among groups every 21 d, resulting in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design (n = 8 per treatment) with a 5-day washout between rotations. Rumen fluid was collected from pairs on d 55, 75, 90,110, 125, 145, 160, and 180 (beginning and end of each 21-day rotation) and pH was recorded immediately after collection. No RT × MA treatment interactions were detected (P &amp;gt; 0.10). Feed intake was decreased (P &amp;lt; 0.01) in steers receiving RT, whereas feed efficiency was greater (P = 0.02) in steers receiving RT. Carcass variables including hot carcass weight, backfat thickness, Longissimus muscle area, marbling, yield grade, and percent of carcasses grading choice or better did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.17). Rumen fluid pH was greater (P = 0.04) in steers receiving RT. Steers receiving MA had greater (P = 0.03) rumen fluid pH and decreased (P = 0.04) rumen fluid viscosity. Collectively, supplementing feedlot cattle with Yucca schidigera extract improved rumen pH and viscosity, but failed to impact performance or carcass measures in feedlot cattle.

Estimation of body and carcass composition of crossbred growing bulls from 11th rib dissection

Precise methods for measuring livestock body and carcass composition are essential for both animal and meat scientists. The aim of this study was to calibrate the 11th rib cut dissection method for the estimation of crossbred beef-on-dairy bull empty body (EB) and carcass compositions against reference tissue and chemical postmortem measurements. Sixty-six (66) crossbred bulls from Angus, Limousin and Simmental sires (n = 22 each) crossed on Brown Swiss dams were serially slaughtered along growth from 58 to 534 kg BW. The muscle, adipose tissue and bone contents of the left 11th rib were determined by physical dissection. Linear regressions followed by leave-one-out-cross-validation were tested between rib dissection variates (with or without additional ones: BW or carcass weight, carcass grading or postmortem linear measurements) and reference EB or carcass chemical (water, lipids, proteins, minerals and energy) and tissue (muscles, adipose tissues and bones, only for final slaughter group of 514 ± 12 kg BW, n = 30) compositions. When all bulls are considered (serial slaughter group, n = 66), the inclusion of rib dissection variate together with BW or hot carcass weight allowed precise estimations of EB and carcass masses and proportions of water [R2 ≥ 0.91, residual CV (rCV) ≤ 3.1%], lipid (R2 ≥ 0.88, rCV ≤ 14.0%), protein (R2 ≥ 0.23, rCV ≤ 3.7%) and energy (R2 ≥ 0.89, rCV ≤ 7.7%). Slight further improvements in precision were achieved when carcass grading conformation or fat scores was added to the multiple estimative regressions. Crossbreed effect was significant on the intercept of most of the predictive equations. Especially ×Angus had higher intercepts for lipids, energy and adipose tissues and lower ones for water, proteins and muscles, when compared to ×Limousin and ×Simmental. Further developments using for example rib imaging analysis rather than physical dissection may contribute to large scale and high-throughput phenotyping of body and carcass compositions.

Mineral composition of serially slaughtered Holstein steers supplemented with zilpaterol hydrochloride.

Calf-fed Holstein steers (n = 115; 449 ± 20 kg) were utilized in a serial harvest experiment. A baseline group of five steers was harvested after 226 d on feed (DOF), which was designated day 0. The remaining cattle were assigned randomly to 11 harvest groups, with slaughter every 28 d. Cattle were either not (CON) or were fed zilpaterol hydrochloride for 20 d followed by a 3 d withdrawal (ZH). There were five steers per treatment in each slaughter group ranging from days 28 to 308. Whole carcasses were divided into lean, bone, internal cavity, hide, and fat trim components. Apparent mineral retention (Ca, P, Mg, K, and S) within the body was calculated as the difference between mineral concentration at slaughter and day 0. Mineral concentration at day 0 was determined from body composition of steers harvested at day 0 multiplied by individual live body weight (BW) at day 0. All data were analyzed as a 2 × 11 factorial arrangement with individual animal as the experimental unit. Orthogonal contrasts were used to analyze linear and quadratic contrasts over time (11 slaughter dates). There were no differences in concentration of Ca, P, and Mg in bone tissue as feeding duration increased (P ≥ 0.89); concentration of K, Mg, and S in lean tissue did fluctuate across DOF (P < 0.01). Averaged across treatment and DOF, 99% of Ca, 92% of P, 78% of Mg, and 23% of S present in the body were in bone tissue; 67% of K and 49% of S were in lean tissue. Expressed as gram per day, apparent retention of all minerals decreased linearly across DOF (P < 0.01). Expressed relative to empty body weight (EBW) gain, apparent Ca, P, and K retention decreased linearly as BW increased (P < 0.01) whereas Mg and S increased linearly (P < 0.01). Apparent retention of Ca was greater for CON cattle (greater bone fraction) and apparent retention of K was greater for ZH cattle (greater muscle fraction) when expressed relative to EBW gain (P ≤ 0.02), demonstrating the increase in lean gain by ZH cattle. There were no differences in apparent retention of Ca, P, Mg, K, or S due to treatment (P ≥ 0.14) or time (P ≥ 0.11) when expressed relative to protein gain. Apparent retention averaged 14.4 g Ca, 7.5 g P, 0.45 g Mg, 1.3 g K, and 1.0 g S/100 g protein gain. Expressing apparent mineral retention on a protein gain basis minimized effects of rate and type of gain, allowing for better comparison across treatments and time. Feeding zilpaterol hydrochloride did not affect apparent mineral retention when expressed relative to protein gain.

A comparison of carcass characteristics, carcass cutting yields, and meat quality of barrows and gilts.

Objectives of this research were to compare carcass characteristics, carcass cutting yields, and meat quality for market barrows and market gilts. Commercially-sourced carcasses from 168 market barrows and 175 market gilts weighing an average of 107.44 ± 7.37 kg were selected from 17 different slaughter groups representing approximately 3,950 carcasses. Each group was sorted into percentiles based on hot carcass weight with an equal number of barrows and gilts selected from each quartile so that weight minimally confounded parameters of interest. Carcass lean yield was determined for carcasses following fabrication (i.e. dissection of lean, fat, and bone tissue components) and meat quality measurements were evaluated at the time of fabrication (24 to 72 h postmortem) and following 14-d of postmortem storage. Data were analyzed as a randomized complete block design with carcass serving as the experimental unit, sex (barrow or gilt), the three hot carcass weight quantiles (light [<104 kg]; average [104 to 110 kg]; heavy [>110 kg]), and the interaction between sex and hot carcass weight quantile serving as fixed effects, and producer nested within slaughter event serving as a random effect. Results from the study demonstrated that gilt carcasses were leaner (3 mm less backfat thickness; 3.5 cm2 greater loin muscle area, 1.52% greater merchandized-cut yield, and 2.92% greater dissected carcass lean yield; P < 0.01) than barrow carcasses, while loins from barrows were higher quality (0.43% more intramuscular fat and slightly less shear force; P < 0.01) than loins from gilts. While this study confirms the well-known biological principle that barrow carcasses have greater levels of fat deposition and lower levels of carcass leanness when compared with gilt carcasses, this study provides a much-needed quantification of these differences for the commercial industry that will undoubtedly be useful as new technologies emerge in upcoming years.

'The use of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)' to predict the veal carcass composition

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to estimate the carcass composition of veal calves. A total of 15 newborn Holstein × Gyr male calves were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: calves fed exclusively milk or fed milk + concentrate ad libitum. Calves were assigned to four slaughter groups (7, 28, 49 and 63 days of age) and after 24 h of chilling carcasses were analyzed by DXA using the enCORE software to obtain fat, lean tissue, and bone mineral content and density. Afterward, carcasses were dissected into lean, fat, and bone tissues that were ground and lyophilized to determine the carcasses chemical composition. The DXA predicted the protein (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.7290), mineral (P = 0.002, R2 = 0.6119) contents, proportions of muscle (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.6986) and bone of veal carcasses (P < 0.0001, R2 = 0.6982), but not fat (P = 0.9557, R2 = 0.002). In conclusion, the DXA measured values were able to predict veal carcass protein, mineral contents, lean and bones amount but was not precise enough to detect the fat tissue on lean carcasses such as those from veal calves.

Fatty acid and conjugated linoleic acid content of Anatolian buffaloes at different muscle types and slaughter weight.

This research was performed to detect tissue fatty acid (FA) composition and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in Anatolian buffaloes at different muscle types (MTs) and slaughter weights (SWs). The research was carried out on a private commercial livestock farm in Tokat. The research's animal material comprised 20 Anatolian buffalo calves with approximately 100kg body weights, weaned at about 150days of age.Before the experiment started, the calves were randomly dividedinto two slaughter groups (SW) as low weight (LW=225 kg) and high weight (HW=325 kg). Ten calves from each of the two experimental groups, which were intensively fed, were slaughtered in two different weights. After the slaughtering, FA composition and CLA content of the Semimembranosus (SM), Semitendinosus (ST), and Triceps brachii (TB) muscle tissues of the animals were examined. The study determined that palmitoleic acid (C16:1) and stearic acid (C18:0) were affected by MTs and oleic acid (C18:1) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) were affected by SW (P < 0.05). The highest CLA was in the ST muscle type (0.298) and the LW group (0.289) of the SW groups (P > 0.05). With the increase of SW (in LW and HW groups), n-6/n3 (SM: 7.783 and 6.533; ST: 8.115 and 7.859; TB: 8.416 and 8.215) (P > 0.05) and PUFA ratio decreased (P < 0.05). The SW increase raised the SFA ratio in the SM muscle (P < 0.05) while lowering it in the TB muscle (P > 0.05). Again, with the increase in SW, AI and TI values increased in SM and ST muscles, while the same index values decreased in TB muscle (P > 0.05). In conclusion,when considering the PUFA/SFA ratio and the beneficial effects of CLAs on human health, ST in the MT and LW groups in SW, and thus ST and LW in MT and SW were prominent in Anatolian buffaloes.

The Effects of Preslaughter Electrical Stunning on Serum Cortisol and Meat Quality Parameters of a Slow-Growing Chinese Chicken Breed.

Simple SummaryIn China, although preslaughter stunning is commonly performed in large-scale production systems, this practice is less common in smaller-scale systems. To promote the concept of animal welfare, we selected common local chicken breeds and sampled the meat and blood of chickens with and without stunning. The experimental results verified that stunning before slaughter can improve meat quality, increase flavor and reduce the stress on chickens. It is more respectful of animal welfare and provides a theoretical basis for the promotion of animal welfare concepts in China.Electrical stunning is widely utilized prior to a neck cut to induce unconsciousness in order to improve animal welfare and slaughter efficiency in the broiler production industry. However, slaughter without stunning is still very commonly used in China, in part because there is a belief that stunning reduces meat quality. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the physical (hemorrhages, pH, drip loss, and shear force) and chemical (inosinic monophosphate concentration and reducing sugar content) properties of broiler meat differed between chickens in preslaughter stunning and nonstunned slaughter groups, and whether the groups differed in their levels of cortisol as an indicator of stress. Serum cortisol levels of the nonstunned group were nearly twice as high as those in the stunned group (p < 0.05). Several meat quality indicators were better in the stunned group than in the nonstunned group. We concluded that electrical stunning prior to slaughter significantly decreases the stress caused by slaughter, resulting in both improved animal welfare and meat quality traits.

Evaluation of the prevalence of stomach ulcers in slaughtered pigs in a Swiss ­abattoir

The development of gastric ulcers in pigs has various reasons. In Switzerland, the last survey on the prevalence of gastric ulcers and possible risk factors was performed in 2005. We aimed to reassess gastric ulcers prevalence today, in 2021. A total of 1005 stomachs from fattening pigs from 136 batches and around 87 herds were evaluated at a Swiss abattoir. The Pars oesophagea of the stomach was scored from 0=healthy to 10=severe ulceration and strictures. Scores were compared between pigs produced under the labels «Integrierte Produktion Schweiz» (IPS, n=242 stomachs, 18 farms) and «Qualitätsmanagement-Schweizerfleisch» (QM, n=649, 58 farms) and others (n=114). The results showed a prevalence of 27,2 % mild mucosal changes (Scores 1-3), 14,9 % moderate mucosal changes (Scores 4-6) and 19,1 % severe mucosal changes (Scores 7-10). Only 38,8 % of the stomachs were rated 0 and thus considered healthy. Compared to the results from 2005, there is no difference concerning the lowest scores (0-2) and the highest scores (9-10). However, there was a shift from the medium scores (3-4) to higher scores (5-8). Stomach scores turned out to be herd specific. There were differences (p < 0,01) between labels, indicating that IPS pigs had less affected stomachs. Stomachs that were empty at slaughter showed higher scores (p < 0,001). The mean carcass weight of the pigs in the slaughter groups was negatively correlated (p < 0,05) to their median stomach score. Confiscations were not related to stomach scores. The results suggest that pig stomach health has not improved since 2005. The differences between labels seem to have resulted from different regulations prescribing a minimum particle size of enrichment material in IPS. The reasons for gastric ulcer development, including those on the individual herd within label, still have to be further clarified in order to allow targeted countermeasures. Given apparent farm-specificity, scoring of a limited number of stomachs per herd during the slaughter process could facilitate the establishment of a feedback scheme.

37 Performance, Health, and Physiological Responses of Feedlot Cattle Supplemented with Pre- and Probiotic Ingredients

Abstract This experiment compared performance and health responses of feedlot cattle receiving a ymbiotic supplement, which replaced or was fed in conjunction with feed-grade antimicrobials. Angus-influenced steers (n = 192) from 4 different sources were weaned and immediately transported for 800 km. Steers arrived at the experimental feedlot on d 0, and a shrunk body weight (BW) was immediately recorded. Steers were ranked by source and shrunk BW, and allocated to 1 of 24 drylot pens (8 steers/pen). Pens received a free-choice diet containing: 1) monensin and tylosin (RT; 360 mg/steer daily from Rumensin and 90 mg/steer daily from Tylan; Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, IN), 2) yeast-derived ingredient and B. subtilis probiotic (CC; 18 g/steer daily of Celmanax and 28 g/steer daily of Certillus; Church and Dwight Co., Inc., Princeton, NJ), or 3) combination of RT and CC (RTCC). Cattle were slaughtered according to BW, and slaughter groups were balanced by treatments (33 steers on d 200, 33 steers on d 230, 63 steers on d 257, and 63 head on d 285). Feed intake during the experimental period (d 0 to slaughter) was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) in CC compared to RT and RTCC, although feed efficiency was lower in CC (P = 0.02). No treatment effects were observed for BW gain (P = 0.61), final BW (P = 0.67), or morbidity (P = 0.15). Upon slaughter, CC had higher marbling scores compared to RT (P = 0.04). Both CC and RTCC had larger Longissimus muscle area (P = 0.07) and more carcasses grading choice or better (P &amp;lt; 0.01) than RT. Liver abscesses tended (P ≤ 0.09) to be greater in CC compared to RTCC and RT. Hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, backfat thickness, and yield grade did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.20). Collectively, replacing RT with CC improved feed intake and certain carcass measures despite decreased feed efficiency, whereas combining CC with RT did not yield additional performance and health benefits.

Effect of Finishing Diet and Lairage Time on Steers Welfare in Uruguay.

Simple SummaryThe transport and general handling of slaughter animals are associated with a series of events that cause stressful and unfavorable conditions that can compromise animal welfare. All these stressful events start at the farm and end with the death of the animal. In this experiment, we evaluated the effect of two finishing strategies and two contrasting lairage times through the combination of several indicators regarding productivity, physiology, behavior and postmortem variables. Individual temperaments and their impact on welfare and carcass quality were also considered. Animal welfare was not compromised in any diet during the finishing period. Individual temperament had a positive impact on the productivity and on all physiological indicators at different preslaughter stages. For that reason, we consider that it should be given paramount importance when talking about animal welfare. According to our results, with pasture-based animals, without fasting on the farm and after a short time of transportation (3.5 h), a longer preslaughter resting time (15 vs. 3 h) is desirable from the animal welfare perspective. Furthermore, our results suggest that this longer resting period, would also be more convenient from the carcass quality perspective.The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of two different pasture-based finishing strategies and lairage time on steers welfare in Uruguayan conditions. Sixty Hereford (H) and Braford (B) steers were assigned to two different diets for finishing purposes: (D1) native pasture plus corn grain (1% of live weight) (H n = 15, B n = 15) and (D2) high-quality pasture (H n = 15, B n = 15). The average daily gain was registered every 14 days, and temperaments were individually assessed one week before slaughter by three individual tests: crush score, flight time and exit speed, building a multicriterial temperament index (TIndex). Animals were slaughtered the same day in two groups (50% from D1 and 50% from D2 in each group) after traveling for 3.5 h and staying 15 (long lairage) and 3 h (short lairage) in the lairage pens, respectively. The behaviors were observed during lairage, and physiological indicators were used to assess stress at the farm after transport, after lairage and at slaughter. Bruises incidence and final pH were registered at the abattoir as a means of assessing the overall animal welfare. Calmer animals had higher average daily gains with no differences either between diets or between breeds. Calmer animals also had a lower stress response during all preslaughter stages, regardless of the time in lairage. Transport did not imply psychological stress (cortisol) for any slaughter group, but physical stress was evident after transport in both groups through NEFA and CPK increases. Bruise incidences did not differ between lairage groups. The short lairage group did not have enough time to cope with the environment before slaughter, with the consequent deleterious effects on the carcass pH. Animals from the long lairage group had a higher metabolic response shown through NEFA values, but they had enough time to rest and recover overnight, reaching final pH values lower than 5.8, considered the upper limit of the normal range. According to this experiment, with pasture-based animals without fasting on the farm and after 3.5 h of transportation, a resting period of 15 h in lairage should be better than a 3-h one.

Ultrawide band microwave system as a non-invasive technology to predict beef carcase fat depth

A portable ultra-wide band microwave system (MiS) coupled with an open-ended coaxial probe (OCP) or Antipodal Vivaldi Antenna (VPA) was tested as a non-invasive objective measurement to predict beef carcase single site fat depth at commercial abattoirs. Experiment one tested the effectiveness of MiS coupled with a VPA. The VPA was used to predict hot carcase P8 (fat depth on the rump) across 4 slaughter groups (n = 241). The VPA was also used to predict cold carcase rib fat (at the quartering site, 75% along the rib eye muscle) across 5 slaughter groups (n = 598). Experiment two tested the ability of MiS coupled with OCP to measure hot carcase P8 across two slaughter groups (n = 435). A machine learning stacking ensemble method was used to create the prediction equations. Datasets were grouped by prediction trait (P8 or ribfat) and probe/antenna then randomly divided into 5 groups based on tissue depth. Precision was greatest using OCP to predict P8 fat depth with a RMSEP of 2.47 mm and R2 of 0.70. The VPA precision was similar for the two tissue depths assessed, hot carcase P8 had an average RMSEP of 2.86 mm and R2 of 0.58 compared to cold carcase rib fat RMSEP of 2.60 mm and R2 of 0.55.

Association between gastrointestinal tract, claw disorders, on-farm mortality and feeding management in veal calves

This study analysed potential associations between the prevalence of rumen, abomasum, liver, and claw disorders detected in 26 batches of Holstein veal calves through a post-mortem inspection at the slaughterhouse, and on-farm mortality and feeding management data. Organs of 15–16 calves per batch (16.5 rumens, 15.9 abomasa, 15.1 livers, and 31.1 claws) were inspected by 3 veterinarians in the slaughter-line. ‘Batch’ refers to group of calves belonging to the same farm and slaughter group. Hyperkeratosis and plaques were detected in over 60% of rumens per batch, and some cases, in all rumens. More than 85% of abomasa showed ulcerations. Sole haemorrhages were detected in 64 to 97% of claws. During fattening, calves received on average 312 kg of milk-replacer (MR) and 162 kg of solid feed (SF), composed mainly of corn grain (85–93% as-fed basis). Rumens with hyperkeratosis were positively correlated to the percentage of corn grain. Abomasa with large-sized-lesions in the pyloric area were positively correlated to the SF amount. Ulcerated abomasa were positively correlated to calves’ mortality reported by farmers. Cluster analysis identified 3 feeding plans. The first, based on MR administration and moderate SF amount, produced lighter carcasses and low-developed rumens, but reduced the prevalence of rumen hyperkeratosis and sole haemorrhages; the other two, more ‘aggressive’ by increasing the amount of SF or both SF and MR, produced heavier carcasses but worsened rumen and claw conditions. This study suggests the existence of different feeding practices used by veal producers that should be reviewed to improve calves’ welfare. Highlights Feeding plans based on moderate amount of solid feed together with the liquid diet reduce the prevalence of rumen alterations and sole haemorrhages The provision of greater amount of high-grain solid feed throughout the fattening rises the prevalence of rumen hyperkeratosis and sole haemorrhages None of the feeding plans were capable of decreasing the occurrence of abomasal ulcerations, which were positively associated with on-farm mortality

Prediction of lamb carcase C-site fat depth and GR tissue depth using a non-invasive portable microwave system

The experiment evaluated the ability of portable ultra-wide band microwave coupled with a Vivaldi patch antenna to predict carcase C-site fat and GR tissue depth. For C-site, 1070 lambs, across 8 slaughter groups were scanned and for GR, 286 lambs across 2 slaughter groups. Prediction equations for reflected microwave signals were constructed with a partial least squares regression two-components model and a machine learning Ensemble Stacking technique. Models were trained and validated using cross validation methods in actual datasets and then in datasets balanced for tissue depth. The precision and accuracy indicators of microwave predicted C-site fat depth across pooled and balanced datasets were RMSEP 1.53 mm, R2 0.54, and bias of 0.03 mm. The precision and accuracy for GR tissue depth across pooled and balanced datasets were RMSEP 2.57 mm, R2 0.79 and bias of 0.33 mm. Using the AUS-MEAT fat score accreditation framework this device was able to accurately predict GR 92.7% of the time.

PSIX-7 Grazing toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue does not influence pancreatic or small intestinal digestive enzyme activities in beef steers

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine the influence of toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue exposure on pancreatic and small intestinal digestive enzyme activities in steers. Twelve fescue-naive beef steers [693 ± 42.7 kg of body weight (BW)] were stratified by BW and randomly assigned within BW ranks to graze non-toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (NTE, n = 6; 0.01 ± 0.009 mg ergovaline + ergovalinine/kg) or toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (TE, n = 6; 0.50 ± 0.048 mg ergovaline + ergovalinine/kg) pastures for 84 d. After the grazing period, steers were weighed and then slaughtered in three groups for tissue collection. A 1-m segment of the small intestine was collected 5-m distal to the pyloric sphincter. Subsamples of the small intestinal mucosa and pancreas were collected, homogenized in saline, and assayed for protein concentration. Pancreatic and small intestinal digestive enzyme activities were assayed. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS as a randomized complete block design for effects of treatment and slaughter group (blocking factor). Steers grazing NTE pastures had a greater (P &amp;lt; 0.001) average daily gain (0.282 vs -0.631 kg/d) and final BW at slaughter (739 vs 620 kg) than steers grazing TE pastures. Small intestinal segment mass and mucosal density (P ≥ 0.16) were not influenced by treatment. Grazing TE pasture did not influence (P ≥ 0.21) pancreatic or small intestinal protein concentrations. Pancreatic α-amylase and trypsin activity per gram pancreas (P ≥ 0.21) or per gram pancreatic protein (P ≥ 0.30) were not influenced by fescue treatment. Small intestinal glucoamylase, isomaltase, and maltase activities did not differ between steers grazing NTE or TE pastures when expressed per gram of intestinal tissue (P ≥ 0.47) or per gram of intestinal protein (P ≥ 0.60). These data indicate that decreased gains observed in cattle consuming TE are not a result of decreased pancreatic or small intestinal digestive enzyme activities.