Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-8zxtt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-15T13:46:11.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of floor space during transport of market weight pigs on incidence of transport losses (dead and non-ambulatory pigs) at the packing plant

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 November 2017

M J Ritter ,
M Ellis ,
J Brinkmann ,
J M DeDecker ,
K K Keffaber ,
M E Kocher ,
B A Peterson ,
J M Schlipf  and
B F Wolter
M J Ritter*
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
M Ellis
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
J Brinkmann
Affiliation:
The Maschhoffs, Inc., Carlyle, IL, United States
J M DeDecker
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
K K Keffaber
Affiliation:
ELANCO Animal Health, Greenfield, IN, United States
M E Kocher
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
B A Peterson
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
J M Schlipf
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United States
B F Wolter
Affiliation:
The Maschhoffs, Inc., Carlyle, IL, United States
*
Email: [email protected]
Get access

Extract

Losses of pigs (dead and non-ambulatory) during transport are of great concern from both animal welfare and also economic perspectives. Based on several field studies, we have reported the incidence of transport losses in market weight pigs to be ~1% (Ellis et al. , 2003). Transport losses can be influenced by numerous factors including genetics, carcass muscling, health status, structural soundness, live weight, nutrition, handling, facility design, and conditions during transport to the plant. Few, if any, of these factors have been examined under typical commercial conditions. Floor space on the trailer during transport is a potential contributing factor that can be easily changed by varying the number of pigs placed on the truck and represents a simple approach to managing transport losses. The objective of this study was to investigate effects of two floor spaces (0.39 and 0.48 m2/pig) during transport, that represent the range currently being used in commercial practice in the U.S., on the incidence of dead and non-ambulatory pigs and to evaluate relationships between transport conditions and transport losses.

Type
Poster presentations
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 2006 , March 2006 , pp. 141
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 The American Society of International Law

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ellis, M., McKeith, F., Hamilton, D., Bertol, T., and Ritter, M. 2003. Analysis of the current situation: what do downers cost the industry and what can we do about it? In Proceedings of the 4th American Meat Science Association Pork Quality Symposium, pp. 1-3. American Meat Science Association, Savoy, IL, USA.Google Scholar