Effects of handling procedures and transport vehicle design on the welfare and meat quality of pigs

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The stress associated with marketing pigs may result in reduced meat quality, some mortality, and a challenge to the pigs' welfare. This proposal addresses factors that contribute to the stressfulness of handling and transportation associated with the marketing of pigs. These factors include components of the loading process, such as facility design, design of the transport vehicle including characteristics of each compartment, and the degree to which animals recover from stress both on the vehicle and at the slaughter plant. The project involves three phases: the first to identify causes of stress under commercial transport conditions; the second to more closely examine these components and means to reduce their stressfulness in intensive controlled studies; and the third to incorporate changes under commercial conditions to assess their effectiveness in reducing stress and improving meat quality. Portions of the project will be conducted in both western and eastern Canada, during both summer and winter, in order to include regional differences in climate and management. The project is multi-disciplinary in design involving animal behaviour, physiology, engineering, and meat quality. It represents a collaboration of scientists from four Canadian universities and affiliated research labs. The project is supported by both pig producer organizations and meat processors.