Review:Transport Losses in Market Weight Pigs: I. A Review of Definitions, Incidence, and Economic Impact

Abstract

Transport losses (dead and nonambulatory pigs) present animal welfare, legal, and economic challenges to the US swine industry. The objectives of this review are to explore 1) the historical perspective of transport losses; 2) the incidence and economic implications of transport losses; and 3) the symptoms and metabolic characteristics of fatigued pigs. In 1933 and 1934, the incidence of dead and nonambulatory pigs was reported to be 0.08 and 0.16%, respectively. More recently, 23 commercial field trials (n = 6,660,569 pigs) were summarized and the frequency of dead pigs, nonambulatory pigs, and total transport losses at the processing plant were 0.25, 0.44, and 0.69% respectively. In 2006, total economic losses associated with these transport losses were estimated to cost the US pork industry approximately $46 million. Furthermore, 0.37 and 0.05% of the nonambulatory pigs were classified as either fatigued (nonambulatory, noninjured) or injured, respectively, in 18 of these trials (n = 4,966,419 pigs). Fatigued pigs display signs of acute stress (open-mouth breathing, skin discoloration, muscle tremors) and are in a metabolic state of acidosis, characterized by low blood pH and high blood lactate concentrations; however, the majority of fatigued pigs will recover with rest. Transport losses are a multifactorial problem consisting of people, pig, facility design, management, transportation, processing plant, and environmental factors, and, because of these multiple factors, continued research efforts are needed to understand how each of the factors and the relationships among factors affect the well-being of the pig during the marketing process. In 1933 and 1934, the incidence of dead and nonambulatory pigs was reported to be 0. 08 and 0.16%, respectively. More recently, 23 commercial field trials (n = 6,660,569 pigs) were summarized and the frequency of dead pigs, nonambulatory pigs, and total transport losses at the processing plant were 0.25, 0.44, and 0.69% respectively. In 2006, total economic

Financial losses in pork supply chain: a study of the pre-slaughter handling impacts

“…The focus of this study was a financial analysis of living weight losses during preslaughtering. According to RITTER et al (2009), this condition refers to death rates during live animal transportation. Our analysis has also considered the condemned animals by slaughterhouses due to carcass bruises and those injured during transportation.…”

Efecto del Transporte de Cerdos de Ceba en la Incidencia de Cerdos Fatigados y Lesionados

“…La postración y muerte de animales durante el transporte representan pérdidas económicas para la industria cárnica porcina y son de gran interés desde la perspectiva del bienestar animal (Ritter et al, 2009a;Pilcher et al, 2011). Las pérdidas por transporte incluyen los cerdos que mueren durante el viaje y los que se convierten en cerdos no ambulatorios; es decir, que son incapaces de permanecer con sus congéneres y de movilizarse por sus propios medios porque presentan lesiones osteomusculares (lesiones) o por extrema fatiga (Pilcher et al, 2011).…”

“…Las pérdidas para los productores incluyen el costo total de los cerdos muertos por decomiso total durante la inspección veterinaria (MSP, 2013) y la pérdida del valor comercial de los animales no ambulatorios, que puede ser del 30% (Ritter et al, 2009a). Con relación a las plantas de sacrificio, los cerdos no ambulatorios requieren mayor mano de obra para su manejo humanitario y procesamiento.…”

Effect of Transportation Distance on Weight Losses in Pigs From Dehydration

“…Quantifying losses and wastes that happens along productive food chain has been a constant challenge for researchers (RITTER et al, 2009;TEMPLE et al, 2011;DAWKINS, 2012;LEAT & REVOREDO-GIHA, 2013;REIS et al, 2015). The index for losses in meat production in Latin America is near 22%, and 1% refers to the pre-slaughter logistics (FAO, 2011).…”

“…Multifactorial issues related to management, fasting, boarding, drivers' behavior, and transportation, might interfere in pigs' pre-slaughter losses (FITZGERALD et al 2009;RITTER et al, 2009;BECERRIL-HERRERA et al, 2010;OCHOVE et al, 2010;MARAHRENS et al, 2011). Several variables have been used to assess animal welfare during transportation that has a broad range of effects on pig's physiology.…”