OBJECTIVE: The death of animals during transport for slaughter is a major factor indicating the level of welfare in transported animals. The aim of this study was to assess mortality related to the commercial transport of finisher pigs for slaughter in the Czech Republic. METHODS: The inspectors of the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic recorded the numbers of finisher pigs transported to processing plants in the Czech Republic for slaughter and the mortality in these pigs in relation to transport in the period from 2009 to 2014. RESULTS: Our results show that the likelihood of death losses in transported pigs increases with increasing transport distance. The transport-related mortality ranged from 0.049% in pigs transported for distances below 50 km to 0.145% in pigs transported for distances exceeding 300 km. The impact of external air temperature on the transport-related mortality found in our study clearly shows that current transport practices fail to ensure the welfare of pigs transported under other than moderate weather. Particularly cold temperatures below -2°C were associated with increased death losses in winter transport. CONCLUSION: Despite a decreasing trend in the mortality of finisher pigs transported for slaughter in Europe, our study suggests that current transport conditions are not efficient at ensuring the welfare of pigs during transport for longer distances and the protection of pigs against the negative impact of extreme ambient temperatures. Further research should focus on developing practical guidelines to improve the welfare of pigs in transit accordingly.

Department of Animal Protection Welfare and Behaviour Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno 612 42 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Veterinary Public Health and Forensic Medicine Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno 612 42 Brno Czech Republic

Department of Veterinary Sciences University of Messina 981 68 Messina Italy

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Geverink NA, Kappers A, van de Burgwal JA, et al. Effects of regular moving and handling on the behavioral and physiological responses of pigs to preslaughter treatment and consequences for subsequent meat quality. J Anim Sci. 1998;76:2080–5. PubMed

Bench C, Schaefer AL, Faucitano L. The welfare of pigs during transport. In: Faucitano L, Schaefer AL, editors. The welfare of pigs - from birth to slaughter. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers; 2008. pp. 161–95.

Smulders FJM, Algers B. Welfare of production animals: assessment and management of risks. Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers; 2009.

Ritter MJ, Ellis M, Berry NL, et al. Review: Transport losses in market weight pigs: I. A review of definitions, incidence, and economic impact. Prof Anim Sci. 2009;25:404–14.

Sunstrum J, Dewey C, Haley C. Clinical signs of stress in finisher pigs transported to market in the summer. Swine News. 2007;30:1–2.

Dewey CE, Haley C, Widowski T, Poljak Z, Friendship RM. Factors associated with in-transit losses of fattening pigs. Anim Welf. 2009;18:355–61.

Warriss PD. Guidelines for the handling of pig ante-mortem: interim conclusion from EC-AIR3-project CT920262. Landbauforsch Volk. 1996;S166:217–25.

Warriss PD. The welfare of slaughter pigs during transport. Anim Welf. 1998;7:365–81.

von Altrock A, von Holleben K. Sudden deaths in fattening herds on taking blood samples - Experiences from the practice. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr. 1999;112:86–90. PubMed

Vecerek V, Malena M, Malena M, Jr, Voslarova E, Chloupek P. The impact of the transport distance and season on losses of fattened pigs during transport to the slaughterhouse in the Czech Republic in the period from 1997 to 2004. Vet Med-Czech. 2006;51:21–8.

Averos X, Knowles TG, Brown SN, Warriss PD, Gosalvez LF. Factors affecting the mortality of pigs being transported to slaughter. Vet Rec. 2008;163:386–90. PubMed

Fabrega E, Diestre A, Carrion D, Font J, Manteca X. Effect of the halothane gene on pre-slaughter mortality in two Spanish commercial pig abattoirs. Anim Welf. 2002;11:449–52.

Gade PB, Christensen L, Baltzer M, Petersen JV. Causes of pre-slaughter mortality in Danish slaughter pigs with special emphasis on transport. Anim Welf. 2007;16:459–70.

Werner C, Reiners K, Wicke M. Mortality rates during transport of slaughter pigs. Fleischwirtschaft. 2005;85:133–6.

Zar JH. Biostatistical Analysis. 4th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall; 1999.

Malena M, Voslarova E, Kozak A, et al. Comparison of mortality rates in different categories of pigs and cattle during transport for slaughter. Acta Vet Brno. 2007;76:109–16.

Arduini A, Redaelli V, Luzi F, et al. Effect of transport distance and season on some defects of fresh hams destined for DPO production. Animals. 2014;4:524–34. PubMed PMC

Perez MP, Palacio J, Santolaria MP, et al. Effect of transport time on welfare and meat quality in pigs. Meat Sci. 2002;61:425–33. PubMed

Haley C, Dewey CE, Widowski T, Poljak Z, Friendship R. Factors associated with in-transit losses of market hogs in Ontario in 2001. Can J Vet Res. 2008;72:377–84. PubMed PMC

Vecerek V, Voslarova E, Conte F, Vecerkova L, Bedanova I. Negative trends in transport-related mortality rates in broiler chickens. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci. 2016;29:1796–804. PubMed PMC

Ritter MJ, Ellis M, Bowman R, et al. Effects of season and distance moved during loading on transport losses of market-weight pigs in two commercially available types of trailer. J Anim Sci. 2008;86:3137–45. PubMed

Correa JA, Gonyou HW, Torrey S, et al. Welfare and carcass and meat quality of pigs being transported for two hours using two vehicle types during two seasons of the year. Can J Anim Sci. 2013;93:43–55.

dalla Costa OA, Faucitano L, Coldebella A, et al. Effects of the season of the year, truck type and location on truck on skin bruises and meat quality in pigs. Livest Sci. 2007;107:29–36.

Sutherland MA, McDonald A, McGlone JJ. Effects of variations in the environment, length of journey and type of trailer on the mortality and morbidity of pigs being transported to slaughter. Vet Rec. 2009;165:13–8. PubMed

Haley C, Dewey CE, Widowski T, Friendship R. Relationship between estimated finishing-pig space allowance and in-transit loss in a retrospective survey of 3 packing plants in Ontario in 2003. Can J Vet Res. 2010;74:178–84. PubMed PMC

Warriss PD, Brown SN. A survey of mortality in slaughter pigs during transport and lairage. Vet Rec. 1994;134:513–15. PubMed

Brown JA, Samarakone TS, Crowe T, et al. Temperature and humidity conditions in trucks transporting pigs in two seasons in Eastern and Western Canada. Trans ASABE. 2011;54:2311–8.

Fox J, Widowski T, Torrey S, et al. Water sprinkling market pigs in a stationary trailer: 1. Effects on pig behaviour, gastrointestinal tract temperature and trailer micro-climate. Livest Sci. 2014;160:113–23.

The Health and Welfare of Rabbits as Indicated by Post-Mortem Findings at the Slaughterhouse