The effects of simulated transport on the muscle characteristics of white-feathered end-of-cycle hens

Alternative slaughter procedures: on-farm slaughter and transport system for broilers

This paper focuses on "alternative methods for initial broiler processing" and exploration of alternative processing including slaughter at the farm immediately after catching. On-farm slaughter and transport (FSaT) is envisioned as a mobile unit that stuns, slaughters, and shackles the broiler carcasses at the farm. A separate trailer-unit then transports the shackled broiler carcasses to the processing plant. Once at the processing plant carcasses are mechanically transferred into plant shackle lines and moved into processing. The hypothesis is that the FSaT approach will dramatically improve overall bird welfare and well-being by reducing live handling and eliminating live transport from the farm to the processing plant. In addition, ancillary impacts could include: improving yield efficiencies by eliminating dead on arrivals, potentially reducing water and energy consumption, reducing labor requirements at the processing plant with the elimination of live rehang, and offering an economically sustainable alternative. The FSaT approach represents a radical change from traditional processing, and its effects on poultry processing need to be evaluated. This paper presents results of experiments conducted at a commercial poultry processor to evaluate feather picking efficiency, carcass bacteriological loading, and meat quality for delayed processed carcasses.

The influence on behavior and physiology of white-feathered end-of-cycle hens during simulated transport

Transportation is a stressful procedure that can alter end-of-cycle hen (EOCH) behavior and physiology. This study (5 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement) aimed to assess the effects of temperature (T)/relative humidity (RH) (-10°C uncontrolled RH (-10), +21°C 30%RH (21/30), +21°C 80%RH (21/80), +30°C 30%RH (30/30), +30°C 80%RH (30/80)), duration (4, 8, 12 h), and feather cover [well (WF) and poorly-feathered (PF)] on white-feathered EOCH (65-70 wk) behavior and physiology. EOCH (n = 630) from 3 commercial farms were housed for adaptation (3-5 d), fasted (6 h), crated (53 kg/m2), and placed in a climate-controlled chamber. Data collected included chamber and crate conditions, feather condition score, mortality, core body temperature (CBT), behavior, and delta (∆) blood physiology. Analyses were conducted via ANOVA in a randomized complete block design (farm of origin) with significance declared at P ≤ 0.05. PF EOCH had higher mortality than WF hens during cold exposure (-10). EOCH ∆CBT demonstrated a greater (positive) change at 12 h for all T/RH compared to 4 h at 21/30, 21/80, and -10 (negative). Cold exposure (-10) resulted in a higher percentage of time spent shivering and motionless, while heat exposure resulted in a higher percentage of time spent panting for WF EOCH exposed to 30/30 and WF and PF hens exposed to 30/80. Hen ∆glucose had a greater (negative) change at 4 and 12 h for -10 compared to 4 h at 21/30, and all durations for 21/80, 30/30, and 30/80. PF hens exposed to -10 had a greater (positive) change in ∆sodium, ∆hemoglobin, and ∆hematocrit compared to WF birds (negative). The development of metabolic alkalosis was supported by the increase in ∆blood pH over time and the increase in ∆partial pressure of carbon dioxide, ∆bicarbonate, and ∆base excess extracellular fluid during cold exposure (-10). These results indicated that EOCH exposed to heat endured thermal stress while PF hens exposed to cold were unable to cope with cold stress.