Literature Review on the Pre-Slaughter Welfare of Italian Heavy Pigs

Abstract

This work provides a narrative review of the available information on the welfare of Italian heavy pigs in the pre-slaughter phase (transport, lairage, and stunning). The meat from these pigs is used for specific PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) products, and the production rules for these specialties require higher body weight (160–170 kg) and age (in general more than 9 months) at slaughter than in most other countries. This may lead to specific behavioral and physiological needs of pigs. The present paper summarizes the main research findings and knowledge gaps for each of the pre-slaughter phases. Studies are presented according to the four principles of the Welfare Quality assessment protocol (good feeding, good housing, good health, and appropriate behavior). The results of the literature review indicate a lack of knowledge on several aspects. Most of studies were carried out in a single slaughterhouse, making it difficult to identify risk factors and confounding effects. Moreover, animal-based measures were assessed using different protocols, reducing the possibility of comparison across studies. These findings may serve as a basis for the development of specific research studies and policies aimed at enhancing the animal welfare level and the ethical attributes of this renowned production, also in accordance with consumers’ expectations.

Opportunities for Regulatory Authorities to Assess Animal-Based Measures at the Slaughterhouse Using Sensor Technology and Artificial Intelligence: A Review

“…Various (systematic) reviews have been published on the use of PLF on farms to assess animal welfare [37,39,[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] or on the use of ABMs at the slaughterhouse to manually assess animal welfare [9,[11][12][13]23,31,55]. The recent opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) highlight the use of ABMs collected in the slaughterhouse to assess on farm welfare and possibilities for automation [18,26,56,57].…”

“…Aggressive behaviour [12] Mounting [12] Fear Reluctance to move, freezing [9,12,27,35] Turning or walking backwards [9,12,27,35] Fear and pain High-pitched vocalisations [9,12,27,35,69,70,76] Escape attempts [12] 3.2. Animal-Based Measures at the Slaughterhouse Recorded by the RA…”

“…Furthermore, Regulatory Authorities (RA) and European public media report issues in slaughterhouses with a negative impact on animal welfare several times a year [4][5][6][7]. Despite existing animal welfare legislation and various initiatives by the meat industry and research to reduce animal suffering, animal welfare consequences (i.e., animal welfare problems) still occur on farm, during transport and in the slaughterhouse [8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”

Thermal Comfort in Swine

“…Several studies have been carried out with hybrid ventilation and cooling, that is, a mixture of mechanical ventilation, cross ventilation, and nebulization, among others, to promote different solutions depending on the characteristics of each region (Vitali et al, 2021). Thus, using heat exchangers allows better indoor air circulation and contributes significantly to increasing animal comfort.…”

Adapted Original Music as an Environmental Enrichment in an Intensive Pig Production System Reduced Aggression in Weaned Pigs during Regrouping

“…Issues such as barren and overcrowded spaces without straw for bedding or rooting contribute to problems such as tail biting, impacting both the economic viability and welfare of pig production [1]. During transportation, concerns like fatigue, heat stress, and aggressive Animals 2023, 13, 3599 2 of 15 behavior are common welfare issues affecting pigs [2]. These issues not only impact physical health but also present behavioral challenges, as observed during regrouping.…”