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A note on variations in pig blood temperature measured at exsanguination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

SN Brown ,
TG Knowles ,
LJ Wilkins ,
SJ Pope ,
PJ Kettlewell ,
SA Chadd  and
PD Warriss
SN Brown*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
TG Knowles
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
LJ Wilkins
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
SJ Pope
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
PJ Kettlewell
Affiliation:
ADAS, Boxworth, Cambridgeshire, CB3 8NN, UK
SA Chadd
Affiliation:
Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucester GL7 6JS, UK
PD Warriss
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: [email protected]
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Abstract

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This study investigated the temperature of pigs’ blood as it flowed from the sticking wound at exsanguination using infra-red thermometry and how it might reflect changes in core body temperature. A total of 417 pigs were monitored over a three-day period, which included a subset of 206 pigs for which additional information concerning transport conditions and ambient temperature was also known. The range of blood temperatures recorded was large (35.6-43.2°C) with a significant number of the animals found to have blood temperatures above the pigs’ normal temperature (39 ± l°C). Within the subset of pigs, average blood temperature of all the pigs in a pen at slaughter appeared to be related to pen temperatures and position on the lorry and was sensitive enough to detect changes in environmental ambient conditions.

Keywords

animal welfareblood temperaturecore temperatureenvironmental conditionspigstransport
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , August 2007 , pp. 331 - 334
Copyright
© 2007 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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