Analysis of tail biting in pigs on the abattoir – Swine abstracts



Tail biting has been recognised as an rising drawback in pig manufacturing. In Europe, tail docking is carried out on swine farms to lower the superiority of tail injury. On the other hand, this process must be implemented handiest as a final useful resource measure, as it’s crucial to believe its adverse have an effect on on animal welfare. Right through meat inspection, tail injury evaluation will also be difficult and result in an understatement of the actual tail biting incidence. This learn about aimed to judge tail biting incidence in slaughtered pigs, analyse the affiliation of tail injury with the manufacturing gadget and tail size, discover the connection between postmortem findings, carcass condemnations and tail injury and assess the significance of growing a extra detailed tail classification rating that incorporates scarred tissue.


Knowledge on 9189 pigs from 73 batches with other tail lengths (undocked, docked mid-length and entirely docked) and distinct manufacturing techniques (typical, typical with out the management of antimicrobials and natural) have been amassed at a Spanish abattoir. Overall and native carcass condemnations have been registered. Because of the rate of the slaughter line, it was once handiest viable to categorise a subset of 3636 animals, who had their tail categorised through two rankings: the lesion rating (in the case of contemporary tail lesions) and the scarring rating (which assesses the presence of scar tissue from healed tail lesions).


The likelihood of staring at tail lesions numerous with tail size with undocked pigs having upper odds of unveiling serious lesions compared with the opposite lengths. Batches with upper lesion rankings offered a better likelihood of general condemnation and confirmed a fair more potent affiliation with scarring rankings. The most important purpose for general condemnation was once pyaemia. Pyaemia was once influenced through tail lesions and offered a fair more potent dating with scarring rankings. The inside-batches likelihood of native condemnations and of native condemnation because of abscesses larger considerably with upper scarring rankings. Relating to husbandry techniques, natural farms confirmed a better likelihood of general condemnation when in comparison to the opposite two manufacturing techniques.


This analysis concludes that the scarred tissue offered an in depth dating with postmortem findings and general/native condemnations, presenting a extra related function when in comparison to contemporary lesions, which proves that it must be incorporated within the tail surveillance program. There’s a want to improve the present lesion scoring manner for tail injury to assist pinpoint carcasses in danger for condemnations, additionally operating as a possible welfare indicator.


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