Simple SummaryTransport duration and thermal conditions can negatively affect pig welfare and carcass quality. The effects of short journeys (30 min) in different thermal-humidity conditions on the body surface temperature of live heavy pigs and carcass skin damage were examined. Body temperature increased with increasing Temperature Humidity Index (THI) class. The highest and lowest body surface temperatures were found in pigs located on the middle and upper decks, respectively. THI class significantly affected skin damage scores, which increased with increasing THI class. Even at relatively low temperatures and THI, the results of this study suggested the need to increase the control of environmental conditions in the truck during short-distance transport of pigs, in order to improve welfare and reduce loss of carcass value.AbstractIn order to evaluate the relationships between deck level, body surface temperature and carcass damages after a short journey (30 min), 10 deliveries of Italian heavy pigs, including a total of 1400 animals from one farm, were examined. Within 5 min after the arrival at the abattoir, the vehicles were unloaded. Environmental temperature and relative humidity were recorded and a Temperature Humidity Index (THI) was calculated. After unloading, maximum temperatures of dorsal and ocular regions were measured by a thermal camera on groups of pigs from each of the unloaded decks. After dehairing, quarters and whole carcasses were evaluated subjectively by a trained operator for skin damage using a four-point scale. On the basis of THI at unloading, deliveries were grouped into three classes. Data of body surface temperature and skin damage score were analysed in a model including THI class, deck level and their interaction. Regardless of pig location in the truck, the maximum temperature of the dorsal and ocular regions increased with increasing THI class. Within each THI class, the highest and lowest body surface temperatures were found in pigs located on the middle and upper decks, respectively. Only THI class was found to affect the skin damage score (p < 0.05), which increased on quarters and whole carcasses with increasing THI class. The results of this study on short-distance transport of Italian heavy pigs highlighted the need to control and ameliorate the environmental conditions in the trucks, even at relatively low temperature and THI, in order to improve welfare and reduce loss of carcass value.

Simple SummaryTransport to the slaughterhouse is a stressful event for pigs. Travel duration and conditions can negatively affect animal welfare and carcass quality. Some defects in fresh hams are strictly connected to pre-slaughter transportation. Journeys with short (<37 km) and long (>170 km) distances may increase damage in fresh hams and decrease Denomination Protected of Origin (DPO) Parma dry-cured ham production.AbstractPre-slaughter handling is related to defects in fresh hams that result in exclusion from the DPO Parma chain, including hematomas, lacerations, microhaemorrhages and veining. To determine the effects of transport conditions on hams, we collected data on defects in 901,990 trimmed fresh hams from heavy pigs provided by 3,650 batches from slaughterhouse during 2012 and 2013. For all batches, transport distance (1–276 km) season and year of delivery were considered. A decrease of all defect occurrences was observed for increasing distance up to 170 km (P < 0.05). Above 170 km, however, all defects frequencies increased (P < 0.05). Season showed an effect on the incidence of defects, with an increasing of hematomas and lacerations in winter and autumn respectively (P < 0.05) and the highest percentage of veining and hemorrhages in spring (P < 0.05). Summer had the lowest incidence of defects on fresh hams. We concluded that the incidence of the examined defects and the subsequent rejection for DPO Parma ham production is lower in fresh hams transported 38–170 km during the summer.

Pre-slaughter conditions and their effects on carcass quality have been largely addressed for pigs of 90–100 kg live weight, while few studies consider the effects of pre-slaughter conditions on the quality of the carcasses obtained from heavy pigs intended for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) production. A total of 1680 heavy pigs were transported in 72 batches from a farm to a commercial abattoir on 16 different days, avoiding mixing unfamiliar animals. Slaughterhouse conditions, animal behaviors, and human–animal interactions were annotated at unloading and during the race toward the stunning cage. Carcass lesions on the rear, middle, and shoulder parts of the carcasses were scored. The prevalence of carcasses with severe lesions was 6.92%, 11.87%, and 6.83%, for the rear, middle, and shoulder parts, respectively. Among the pre-slaughter events, waiting before unloading and improper handling practices at the abattoir were the major factors affecting carcass lesion severity. Lairage pen space allowance was also found to affect severe rear and shoulder lesions, and the batches that were transported in the trailer had an increased prevalence of severe shoulder lesions. Our results suggest waiting time before unloading should be shortened as much as possible, and educational programs to train operators for more careful management of animals in the abattoir are greatly required to avoid improper animal handling practices.

Oral communication abstractsremoved -there were no cases of malignancy. In a study of 55,278 pregnancy terminations, there were 2 cases of malignancy. We have prospectively evaluated 3000 consecutive women who presented to the Early Pregnancy Unit. The prevalence of ovarian cysts was 5.3%. These women were managed expectantly and followed until resolution of the ovarian cyst occurred, intervention was required or the pregnancy concluded. 72.2% resolved spontaneously, 23.6% persisted and 4.2% required intervention -there were no cases of malignancy. Only 0.13% (1.3/1000) of all women in this longitudinal study required acute intervention. We concluded that examining the ovaries in the first trimester is of no value. Expectant management is advocated, at least until the pregnancy is beyond 14 weeks' gestation. If symptomatic, simple ovarian cysts diagnosed during pregnancy can be successfully and safely treated with sonographic guided cyst aspiration. Adnexal masses can be accurately classified according to TVS. However in the few cases when the nature of the cyst is in question, one must balance the risks to the pregnancy from intervention versus the risk of malignancy. OC258aColour Doppler and morphological assessment of ovarian masses L. Valentin and P. Sladkevicius Malmö University Hospital, SwedenThe best ultrasound method for making a specific diagnosis of an adnexal mass is subjective evaluation of the gray scale ultrasound image ('pattern recognition') by an experienced examiner using a good ultrasound system. Malignant adnexal lesions can be discriminated from benign ones with a sensitivity of 92-96% and a false positive rate of 4-10%. Malignancies are characterised by the presence of solid components and irregularity. Benign tumors are characterised by absence of solid tissue and absence of irregularity. Based on pattern recognition, the following specific conditions can be correctly diagnosed: hydrosalpinx (sausage shaped cystic structure, incomplete septa, cog-wheel/beads on a string), endometrioma (thick walled cyst, homogenously echogenic contents), dermoid cyst ('white ball', shadowing), para-ovarian cyst (cyst close to but clearly separate from a normal ovary), peritoneal cyst (irregular cyst following the contour of the pelvis with an ovary suspended amongst adhesions). Sensitivity with regard to correct identification of these conditions ranges from 83 to 100% (depending upon the condition) and the false positive rate from 0 to 2%. Doppler ultrasound often increases the diagnostic confidence of the examiner but rarely changes his/her diagnosis made on the basis of the grey scale ultrasound image. Malignant masses are characterised by higher color content and higher blood flow velocities than benign ones. A uterine myoma is characterised by high color content, high blood flow velocity, and vessels following the outline of the tumor, an ovarian fibroma has low color content and low blood flow velocity, a corpus luteum cyst is surrounded by a 'ring of color' and has high blood flow velocities in its...

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