Correction: Gonçalves Vero et al. Transport of Pigs of Two Market Weights at Two Space Allowances: Effects on Behaviour, Blood Parameters, and Meat Quality under Summer and Winter Conditions. 2023, , 2767.

In the original publication [...

Transport of Pigs of Two Market Weights at Two Space Allowances: Effects on Behaviour, Blood Parameters, and Meat Quality under Summer and Winter Conditions.

This study was carried out through two separate experiments aiming at evaluating the effects of two space allowances (0.54 and 0.62 m/pig in summer and 0.

Road Transport: A Review of Its Effects on the Welfare of Piglets.

The purpose of this review is to present the best available scientific knowledge on key effects of pre-transport and transport factors influencing the response of piglets to transport stress and post-transport recovery. To date, research on piglet transportation particularly focused on the effects of season (i.e.

Welfare of cattle during transport.

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with protection of cattle (including calves) during transport. Welfare of cattle during transport by road is the main focus, but other means of transport are also covered.

Welfare of small ruminants during transport.

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with the protection of small ruminants (sheep and goats) during transport. The main focus is on welfare of sheep during transport by road but other means of transport and concerns for welfare of goats during transport are also covered.

Welfare of pigs during transport.

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the animal welfare legislation. The present Opinion deals with protection of pigs during transport. The welfare of pigs during transport by road is the main focus, but other means of transport are also covered.

Welfare of equidae during transport.

In the framework of its Farm to Fork Strategy, the Commission is undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of animal welfare legislation. This opinion deals with the protection of horses and donkeys during transport. While the opinion focuses primarily on road transport of horses, there are specific sections dealing with the transport of horses on roll-on-roll-off ferries, horses transported by air and the transport of donkeys.

Behavior, blood stress indicators, skin lesions, and meat quality in pigs transported to slaughter at different loading densities.

A total of 1,936 pigs were transported through 8 trips (8.4 ± 0.5 hr) from 2 grow-to-finish farms to a commercial slaughter plant, all located in Southern Brazil.

Correlation between L-Lactate Concentrations in Beef Cattle, Obtained Using a Hand-Held Lactate Analyzer and a Lactate Assay Colorimetric Kit.

Lactate is a product of anaerobic glycolysis, used in animal research as an indicator of muscle fatigue. Therefore, it has been used as an indicator of cattle response to long distance transportation. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of L-lactate concentrations measured using a Lactate Scout+ analyzer and a traditional lactate assay colorimetric kit.

The effects of feeding finishing pigs of two genders with a high fiber and high fat diet on muscle glycolytic potential at slaughter and meat quality.

A total of 160 pigs, in groups of 8 pigs of mixed genders, were fed four finishing feeding strategies with the aim to reduce muscle glycolytic potential and improve meat quality. Pigs were fed a control diet (C; fat = 5.0%, ADF = 3.

Effects of energy supplements on the differentiation of skeletal muscle satellite cells.

To investigate the effects of the activator of AMPK and high glucose on the differentiation of mouse SMSCs, primary SMSCs were isolated from mouse extensor digitorum longus muscle and grown to near confluence (80%). Postconfluent cells were cultured in a growth medium with different inductors: AICAR, glucose, and AICAR mixed with glucose. The specific protein expressions of SMSCs, myoblasts, adipocytes, and brown adipocytes were analyzed on days 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10.

Association Between Tail-Biting and Intestinal Microbiota Composition in Pigs.

Tail-biting (TB) in pigs is a serious behavioral disorder. It is an important challenge in swine production as it impacts animal welfare and health and the economics and safety of the pork meat supply chain. To prevent TB, approaches including enrichment material and tail docking are proposed but none are optimal.

Evaluation of physical euthanasia for neonatal piglets on-farm.

Twenty-seven neonate piglets (range from 0.35 to 1.17 kg) were evaluated for the effectiveness of blunt force trauma as a method of on-farm cull.

Application of extended feed withdrawal time preslaughter and its effects on animal welfare and carcass and meat quality of enriched-housed pigs.

A total of 144 barrows were distributed into four treatment groups. One group was housed conventionally and fasted for 16 h preslaughter, while the other three groups were housed in enriched conditions (straw-bedding and low density) and fasted for 16, 24 and 32 h preslaughter. When compared with conventionally-housed pigs, enriched-housed pigs were heavier (P < .

Validation of Anatomical Sites for the Measurement of Infrared Body Surface Temperature Variation in Response to Handling and Transport.

This study aimed at validating the anatomical sites for the measurement of infrared (IR) body surface temperature as a tool to monitor the pigs' response to handling and transport stress. The selected anatomical sites were the neck (infrared neck temperature-IRNT), rump (infrared rump temperature-IRRT), orbital (infrared orbital temperature-IROT) and behind ears (infrared behind ears temperature-IRBET) regions. A total of 120 pigs were handled from the finishing pen to the loading dock through a handling test course.

A Review of Swine Transportation Research on Priority Welfare Issues: A Canadian Perspective.

The purpose of this review is to present the best available scientific knowledge on key animal welfare issues during swine transport, such as transport duration and distance, time off feed and water, rest intervals, environmental conditions, loading density, and transport of young animals, based on their impact on stress, injury, fatigue, dehydration, body temperature, mortality, and carcass and meat quality. The review was limited to this set of priority welfare issues which were identified by the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) Scientific Committee to help with the development of the livestock transportation Codes of Practice. This review focuses primarily on research related to the transport of market pigs (100-135 kg) which is a reflection of the current literature available on pig transportation.

Effects of Transport Duration and Environmental Conditions in Winter or Summer on the Concentrations of Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Proteins in the Plasma of Market-Weight Pigs.

In previous work using market-weight pigs, we had demonstrated that insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) are regulated during shipment characterized by changing conditions of stress due to loading or unloading, transportation, lairage, and slaughter. In addition, we found in a previous study that IGFBP-2 concentrations were lower in pigs transported for longer periods of time. Therefore, we performed a more detailed study on the effects of transport duration and season on the plasma concentrations of IGFs and IGFBPs in adult pigs.

Preslaughter handling practices and their effects on animal welfare and pork quality.

At all times, prior to slaughter, pigs may experience stress from a range of handling practices, such as fasting, loading and transport, mixing, and interaction with humans. These factors can affect the welfare of pigs and carcass and meat quality, both individually and collectively. Preslaughter stress is both an animal welfare and a meat quality issue.

Review: Effects of Ractopamine Hydrochloride (Paylean) on welfare indicators for market weight pigs.

This review summarizes the effects of ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) dose (5, 7.5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) on market weight pig welfare indicators. Ractopamine hydrochloride (trade name Paylean) is a β-adrenergic agonist that was initially approved in the U.

Use of the spectrophotometric color method for the determination of the age of skin lesions on the pig carcass and its relationship with gene expression and histological and histochemical parameters.

The presence of lesions on the pig carcass is an indicator of poor animal welfare and has economic impact as it downgrades the carcass value. The assessment of the age of lesions on the carcass may help identify risk factors and ultimately prevent their occurrence. The aim of this study was to assess the age of lesions on pig carcasses through spectrophotometric color evaluation and to relate the results with gene expression and histological and histochemical parameters.

Interference of stress with the somatotropic axis in pigs - lights on new biomarkers.

The acceptance of animal products is increasingly associated with standardized animal welfare, which relates to appropriate animal husbandry from birth to slaughter. In particular, shipment to the slaughterhouse is considered as a critical process exposing the animals to a number of, in part severe, stressors. New biomarkers may be useful for the assessment of animal welfare.

Can the way pigs are handled alter behavioural and physiological measures of affective state?

Research on human-animal relationship in animal production has been mainly focused on its effect on stress, productivity and meat quality. Only few studies have assessed its effects on the animals' affective state. In the present study, the influence of positive and negative handling (pH and NH, respectively) on affective state and fear as assessed by the cognitive bias test, the novel object test and the defence cascade test was studied in 56 pigs.

Season, Transport Duration and Trailer Compartment Effects on Blood Stress Indicators in Pigs: Relationship to Environmental, Behavioral and Other Physiological Factors, and Pork Quality Traits.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of the season, travel duration and trailer compartment location on blood creatine-kinase (CK), lactate and cortisol concentrations in 384 pigs and assess their relationships with trailer temperature, heart rate and gastrointestinal tract temperature (GTT), behavior, carcass damage scores and meat quality. Blood CK was greater in pigs transported in summer ( = 0.02), after 18 h transportation ( < 0.

A note comparing the welfare of Zebu cattle following three stunning-slaughter methods.

The objective of this study was to assess welfare of cattle during bleeding after slaughter with or without stunning. A total of 434 bulls were distributed across three slaughter treatments: penetrating captive bolt stunning followed by chest sticking (PCB, N=279), non-penetrating captive bolt stunning followed by halal slaughter (NPCB, N=67) and shechita without previous stunning (SHE, N=88). Four measures of possible consciousness and return to sensibility were recorded 20 and 60 s after bleeding as welfare indicators.