Evaluating the prevalence of tail biting and carcase condemnations in slaughter pigs in the Republic and Northern Ireland, and the potential of abattoir meat inspection as a welfare surveillance tool
Evaluating the prevalence of tail biting and carcase condemnations in slaughter pigs in the Republic and Northern Ireland, and the potential of abattoir meat inspection as a welfare surveillance tool
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DOI：
10.1136/vr.100986
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发表时间：
2012-12-15
影响因子：
2.2
通讯作者：
Boyle, L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Harley, S.;More, S. J.;Boyle, L.
尽管在动物健康的流行病学调查中广泛使用，但迄今为止，很少考虑屠宰场肉类检查作为猪福利监测工具的价值。本研究测量了2010年7月和8月在爱尔兰共和国和爱尔兰北方的6个屠宰场屠宰的36，963头猪中断尾、咬尾、胴体腐烂的患病率以及后者（仅北方爱尔兰）的相关经济损失。在接受检查的猪中，99%以上的猪被断尾，而58.1%和1.03%的猪分别有可检测到的和严重的尾部病变。据估计，每屠宰一头猪，屠宰者因胴体报废而遭受的损失为0.37美元。加强肉类检验数据的采集和利用，用于动物福利监测计划，有可能推动生产效率和动物福利的提高。然而，显着的差异被检测到在屠宰场和司法机构（共和国和北方爱尔兰）之间的尸体谴责条件的流行。这反映了不同屠宰场在肉类检查中使用的标准和数据采集方法的差异。因此，肉类检验过程需要标准化和改革，才能可靠地用于大规模的猪福利监测计划。
Despite extensive utilisation in epidemiological investigations of animal health, to date there has been little consideration of the value of abattoir meat inspection as a pig welfare surveillance tool. This study measured the prevalence of tail-docking, tail biting, carcase condemnations and associated financial losses of the latter (Northern Ireland only) in 36,963 pigs slaughtered in six abattoirs from the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in July and August 2010. Over 99 per cent of inspected pigs had been tail-docked, while 58.1 per cent and 1.03 per cent had detectable and severe tail lesions, respectively. Producer losses resulting from carcase condemnation were estimated to be (sic)0.37 per pig slaughtered. Enhanced capture and utilisation of meat inspection data for use in animal welfare surveillance schemes has the potential to drive improvements in production efficiency and animal welfare. However, significant differences were detected in the prevalence of carcase condemnation conditions between abattoirs and judiciaries (Republic and Northern Ireland). This reflects variation in the criteria and methods of data capture used in meat inspection in different abattoirs. Thus, the meat inspection process needs to be standardised and reformed before it can be reliably utilised in large-scale pig welfare surveillance schemes.