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Bruises in culled cows: when, where and how are they inflicted?
A C Strappini1, J H M Metz, C Gallo
1Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. anastrappini@uach.cl
Animal : an International Journal of Animal Bioscience
|October 11, 2012
Summary
Bruises on cow carcasses in Chile are common, often caused by interactions with facilities and handling during slaughter. Improving stunning facilities and animal handling can significantly reduce these costly bruises.
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Food Science
- Agricultural Engineering
Background:
- Cow carcasses exhibit the highest bruise prevalence in Chile compared to other cattle.
- The specific causes of these bruises are often unidentified, leading to economic losses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the timing, pre-slaughter stage, and causes of bruising events in cull cows.
- To assess the prevalence and location of bruises on carcasses.
Main Methods:
- Direct observation and video analysis of 52 cull cows during transport and pre-slaughter.
- Post-slaughter assessment of bruise number, location, and characteristics.
- Linking observed bruises to specific causal events.
Main Results:
- 78 bruises were found on 37 carcasses; 52 were linked to causal events.
- 46% of bruises resulted from animal-facility interactions (mainly in the stunning box).
- 27% from animal-animal interactions (lairage) and 27% from human-animal interactions (loading/unloading).
Conclusions:
- Most bruises occur at the slaughterhouse, particularly in the stunning box, even with short transport times and long lairage.
- Improving animal handling and stunning facilities can substantially reduce bruise incidence.
- Targeted interventions at loading, unloading, and stunning stages are crucial.
