17/01/2024
Stamping, loading and transport well thought out - no stress
Source: landwirt.com
The final hours before slaughter have a decisive influence on meat quality. Read here how to properly tag, load, and transport your slaughter-ready pigs. All without stress.
Good meat quality begins with timely pig identification. According to the Animal Identification Ordinance and the AMA Quality Seal Guidelines, pigs must be tattooed with a stamp no later than 30 days before their scheduled slaughter. The stamp consists of two lines. The first line contains "AT," followed by the federal state code and three to four digits of the LFBIS number. The second line contains the remaining digits of the LFBIS number and, if applicable, the AMA symbol "AA."
Farmers are reluctant to brand their animals because it creates unrest in the barn. But there's no alternative. Every farmer wants the pigs they deliver to be identified and paid for. At the same time, traceability to the farm of origin must be transparent. Timely branding allows the tattooed part of the body to regenerate, preventing bruises from remaining on the carcass. Consumers don't want their pork chops or schnitzels to be darkly discolored by blood residue.
Consider the following practical tips for tattooing:
- Stamp the piglets from 31kg when they are put into the fattening barn.
- Position yourself at the trough or at the pivoting pen partition. Let the animals come to you. They will receive the stamp on the left and right and will then be driven to the other side of the pen.
- Open the pen door and let the pigs out. Stamp the animals as you drive them back.
- Stamp late in the evening when the pigs are calmer.
- Mount a cattle crayon on the stamp or pad.
- Count the stamps - this way you can check later whether you caught all the pigs.
- If you drive the pigs from the pre-fattening to the finishing barn, the blow with the tattoo stamp can be used to drive the animals forward.
Check that the tattoo stamp is complete. After each stamping, dip the numbers in sufficient ink. Be careful not to keep the ink too cold, or it will thicken. Never stamp your animals without ink. Only strike a spot once. Apply moderate pressure when stamping. Avoid rusty, dull, or dirty numbers. After you're done, clean the ink pad, stamp, and numbers with a wire brush.
Sobering up pigs
Fasted animals are easier to load than fed ones. Pigs with empty stomachs are more agile, curious, and instinctively seek food. Satiated animals, on the other hand, are sluggish. Fed pigs tend to stop during the herding process to defecate. They contaminate the herding paths, the truck, and the other animals. Many inspection bodies consider dirty animals at the slaughterhouse to be a hygiene problem.
Allow a fasting period of ten to twelve hours before loading. If loading is scheduled for 4 a.m., no feeding is allowed the night before. If the pigs are fed ad libitum, you must allow for the time it takes for the trough to empty. Fill the feeder for the last time at lunchtime.
If the animals are fasted for longer than 24 hours, there is a risk that the proportion of DFD meat will increase. This poor-quality meat is dark, firm, and dry. A loss of body substance occurs after a fasting period of 18–24 hours.
US researchers investigated the influence of fasting on meat quality in a study involving over 1,500 slaughter pigs. They found that an extended fasting period has a positive effect on meat quality. During the time the animals are not eating, the body breaks down sugar reserves in the muscles and liver. This reduces the pH of the meat's decline. The high pH leads to better water retention.
For economic reasons, it is not profitable to feed the pigs immediately before transport to the slaughterhouse, because this feed can no longer be used for meat production. Disposing of the gastrointestinal contents at the slaughterhouse results in unnecessary costs.
Stress-free loading
Mark the pigs ready for slaughter and note the number of pigs per box. It's best to fill out the delivery note before loading begins. Prepare driving aids and loading equipment for use. Pigs like to walk side by side in groups of three to seven animals. The ideal driving aisle is 85–150 cm wide, slightly inclined, and as straight as possible. Angular narrows slow the animals, whereas sloping paths make the loading process easier. In long aisles, it is advisable to install backstops. Steps, crevices, or rattling manhole covers unsettle the animals. Ensure that the floor of the driving aisle is dry and non-slip. Straw, sawdust, or quartz sand promote surefootedness. Driving paths with concrete slats are practical because they are easy to keep clean. In rain, snowfall, or wind, it is worthwhile to provide a roof over the loading area. Neither the farmer nor the livestock likes to be exposed to the elements in an already unpleasant situation.
Illuminate driving routes
Pigs run toward the light, but they must not be blinded. Illuminate the herding paths evenly and avoid shadows. Rapidly changing light and shadow conditions frighten the animals because they can no longer judge the ground. Pigs don't see particularly well. Therefore, good lighting of the paths is important to ensure the animals' safety.
Rules for animal transport
Many farmers transport their pigs to the slaughterhouse themselves. The following legal regulations apply up to a distance of 50 km:
- Keep the transport time as short as possible.
- The means of transport as well as loading and unloading devices must be constructed in such a way that the animals are spared injuries and suffering: this means a bedding area (e.g. sawdust), cover against rain, snow and direct sunlight.
- The transporters must be qualified in handling animals.
- Do not use violence.
- Check the animals’ well-being regularly.
- Ensure a floor area of at least 0.5 m² per animal for a 100 kg pig (guideline: 235 kg/m²).
- When transporting a small number of animals, the area must be divided so that the animals are not thrown back and forth during the journey.
- Breeding pigs, fattening pigs and suckling pigs may be transported together provided that their areas can be separated in the means of transport.
- Pigs must be fit for transport. They must not have any large wounds or organ prolapses. The animals must be pain-free and able to move unaided.
- Carry a livestock transport license. For farmers who transport their own pigs less than 50 km, this is not mandatory, but recommended.