Cattle welfare at slaughter in a commercial abbatoir of the Caribbean region of Colombia

Abstract

Objective. Assesses the welfare of cattle during the slaughter and study the relationship between the management prior to slaughter and the characteristics of the carcass, in a commercial abattoir of the Caribbean region of Colombia.
Materials and methods. The facilities were characterized and the following variables were evaluated: effectiveness of stunning, number of impacts to knockout, presence of refl exes, time invested in each stage, and carcass characteristics of 266 animals. The aforementioned variables were correlated with other variables related to pre-slaughter management. An ethnographic study was carried out with operators. Results. 7.4% of the animals received more than one impact to be knocked out and the bleeding time exceeded 60 seconds in most cases.
The bruises were the most recurrent lesions in the channels. Carcass yield was 52.3% and 49.8% in males and females, respectively. The pH of the hot carcass (6.9) exceeded that of the cold one (6.1). The distance traveled, the density of transport, the disembarkation time and the reactivity of the animals were related to the incidence of bruising. Most operators recognize the importance of welfare, and that there are problems that must be addressed. Conclusions. Faults were detected in the welfare during the slaughter of the animals and during the management prior to slaughter, as a function of the presence of bruises in the carcasses. Operators agree that the animal welfare should be guaranteed.