Effects of Housing, Short Distance Transport and Lairage on Meat Quality of Finisher Pigs

Transport and associated handling can have adverse effects on pig welfare and meat quality. The purpose of the study was to determine (the variation of) effects of farm management, climate parameters, transport and lairage conditions on the meat quality of fattening pigs, heterozygous for the halothane gene. A total of 4763 fattening pigs were transported from 1 farm to a commercial slaughterhouse (distance 110 km) in 121 transports. From 2404 carcasses, carcass temperature and pH were measured 45 min post-mortem; 48 hours post-mortem pH, electrical conductivity, drip loss and meat color were registered. During the raising period sex, conditions at weaning (purchased or not as piglet, vaccination against mycoplasma) and (type of) pen during fattening (i.e., from about 22 kg to 105 kg) were registered to relate with pork quality. Transport season, weather parameters, regrouping or not during loading, transport combination (truck, trailer and driver), transport compartment and transport conditions (loading density, transport duration and unloading time) were monitored. At the slaughterhouse, duration of lairage and carcass conformation were followed up to examine correlations with meat quality parameters. Effects of farm management, climate parameters during transport, transport and slaughterhouse conditions on pork quality were demonstrated. Specifically, reducing lung lesions by vaccination during raising, no mixing of pigs during the transport process, sufficient lairage time and transporting no extreme muscled pigs can improve meat quality.