Abstract

ROMERO PENUELA, Marlyn Hellen; URIBE VELASQUEZ, Luis Fernando  and  SANCHEZ VALENCIA, Jorge Alberto. Assessment of behavioral and handling practices during slaughter cattle as indicators of animal welfare. Ces. Med. Vet. Zootec. [online]. 2012, vol.7, n.2, pp.22-29. ISSN 1900-9607.

A Cross-sectional study in two commercial slaughterhouses has been undertaken in order to evaluate animal welfare practices during the stunning and bleeding using behavioral indicators. 100 bovines were observed in each slaughterhouse. Signs of loss of consciousness (corneal reflex, attempts to incorporate, vocalizations, rhythmic breathing and others) as well as behavioral indicators (slipping, falling and vocalizations) were assessed to identify animal welfare standards. Besides, the delay until the application of the method, the number of shots per animal and their location; the interval between stunning and bleeding, and the time of bleeding were measured. The study of behavioral indicators showed serious animal welfare problems. Despite 97% of animals (plant A) collapsed immediately after the first shot, 45% recovered sensitivity during the bleeding. The return of the sensitivity of the evaluated cows was associated with long time intervals between the effective stunning and bleeding in the two plants, but remained statistically significant in plant A (p<0,05). It was concluded that the problems of inefficiency of stunning were associated to the poor design of stunning boxes, education and training of the staff, lack of animal welfare indicators and absence of any audit.

Keywords : Animal welfare; behavioral sciences; slaughter; stunning.

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