Davis Melissa K, Sullivan Paxton A, Hess Ann M, Nair Mahesh N, Mooney Daniel F, Edwards-Callaway Lily N
Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Transl Anim Sci. 2024 Jan 3;8:txad150. doi: 10.1093/tas/txad150. eCollection 2024.
Preslaughter management factors and their impacts on cattle welfare and meat quality are well documented in current literature. However, certain management factors related to transportation and lairage are underrepresented. Benchmarking preslaughter management factors that can impact welfare and meat quality outcomes will allow the industry to identify areas for improvement. The objective of the current study was to benchmark preslaughter management factors for a nationwide sample of commercial fed cattle processing facilities. Five processing facilities in the West, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States were sampled from March 2021 to July 2022. Data were collected on a total of = 637 slaughter lots representing = 87,220 head of cattle. Variables of interest included general cattle characteristics, distance traveled to the plant, truck wait times to unload, environmental conditions, lairage density, and lairage duration. Additionally, mobility was scored using a four-point locomotion scale (one being normal, not lame, and four being extremely reluctant to move). Carcasses were also observed for bruising using the following scale: no bruises, bruises smaller or larger than a deck of cards, and having multiple bruises. Descriptive statistics were performed on the data at the lot and individual animal level. On average, cattle traveled 155.8 ± 209.6 km (mean ± SD) from the feedlot to the processing facility and waited 30.3 ± 39.7 min to unload. Once in lairage pens, cattle were held for 200.7 ± 195.0 min. The mean lairage stocking density was 3.1 ± 2.0 m per head. A majority of the cattle scored a mobility score of 1 ( = 77,645, 91.8%), 7.8% ( = 6,125) were scored as a two and the remaining less than one percent of cattle were scored as either a 3 or 4 ( = 265). Carcasses with bruises less than or equal to the size of a deck of cards ( = 22,672, 27.1%) were less frequent than bruises measuring greater than the size of a deck of cards ( = 34,427, 42.6%). Of carcasses that were bruised, 65.2% (39,856) had multiple bruises of varying size. This baseline data on preslaughter management factors identifies opportunities for improvement in wait times, lairage densities, and factors that cause bruising. Future studies should explore the relationships between these factors and their impacts on welfare and meat quality, report the economic value of these outcomes, and explore industry acceptability and adoptability of optimal preslaughter management practices.
当前文献中已充分记录了宰前管理因素及其对牛福利和肉质的影响。然而，与运输和圈养相关的某些管理因素的描述较少。对可能影响福利和肉质结果的宰前管理因素进行基准评估，将有助于该行业确定改进领域。本研究的目的是对全国范围内的商业育肥牛加工设施样本的宰前管理因素进行基准评估。2021年3月至2022年7月，对美国西部、中西部和西南部地区的5个加工设施进行了抽样。总共收集了代表87220头牛的637个屠宰批次的数据。感兴趣的变量包括牛的一般特征、到工厂的运输距离、卡车等待卸货的时间、环境条件、圈养密度和圈养持续时间。此外，使用四分运动量表对活动能力进行评分（1表示正常，无跛行，4表示极度不愿移动）。还使用以下量表观察胴体的瘀伤情况：无瘀伤；瘀伤小于或大于一副纸牌的大小；有多处瘀伤。对批次和个体动物层面的数据进行了描述性统计。平均而言，牛从饲养场到加工设施的运输距离为155.8±209.6公里（平均值±标准差），等待卸货的时间为30.3±39.7分钟。进入圈养栏后，牛被圈养200.7±195.0分钟。平均圈养饲养密度为每头牛3.1±2.0平方米。大多数牛的活动能力评分为1（n = 77645，91.8%），7.8%（n = 6125）评分为2，其余不到1%的牛评分为3或4（n = 265）。瘀伤小于或等于一副纸牌大小的胴体（n = 22672，27.1%）比瘀伤大于一副纸牌大小的胴体（n = 34427，42.6%）更少见。在有瘀伤的胴体中，65.2%（39856）有大小不一的多处瘀伤。这些关于宰前管理因素的基线数据确定了在等待时间、圈养密度和导致瘀伤的因素方面的改进机会。未来的研究应探讨这些因素之间的关系及其对福利和肉质的影响，报告这些结果的经济价值，并探讨最佳宰前管理实践在行业中的可接受性和采用情况。
