Transportation, which is an unfamiliar to the pig – is one of the most critical periods in pig handling before slaughter. It possibly involves economic losses due to deaths, ‘suspect’ animals on arrival at the processing plant, and reduced meat quality. Losses are reported to be higher in summer and vary among compartments within a truck. However, little is known about micro-environmental conditions that develop within compartments during transportation and its relationship to pig welfare and quality of meat. As part of a larger project on handling and transport of pigs, we examined the temperature conditions in trucks to determine if differences exist among compartments during summer and winter months.
Temperatures During Transportation (View pdf)
