Stress In Animals

An understanding of the behavior of livestock will facilitate handling, reduce stress, and improve both handler safety and animal welfare. Reducing stress on animals during handling has been demonstrated to improve productivity and prevent physiological changes that could confound research results. Large animals can seriously injure handlers and/or themselves if they become excited or agitated. Recent studies have shown the adverse effects of stress on animals. Techniques such as restraint, electric prods and other handling stresses lowered conception rates. Transportation and restraint stress reduced the immune function in cattle and pigs. Rumen function was impaired by transit stress. In the studies conducted by researchers, the stress imposed

This type of meat is of high ultimate pH (≥6.0), dark, firm and dry (DFD), and therefore spoils rapidly by bacteria and more supportive to pathogen growth as compared to meat of normal pH.

Lairage and pre-slaughter handling on welfare related meat quality is concerned, guidelines for treatment of animals and handling facilities, vehicles during transport and lairage prior to slaughter has been recommended by Grandin (2005) based on research findings and experiences she gained throughout her lifelong carrier. From the point of view of farm animals’ welfare status the amount of stressors on them during routine handling and transport often may result in very variable results and can be difficult to interpret from an animal welfare point of view.

Quite a lot of factors may influence how an animal reacts to different handling. Differences across findings may likely to be due to variations in levels of psychological stress: restraint, handling and novelty; and/or physical stresses: hunger, thirst, fatigue, injury and/or or thermal extremes. To measure how animals hot feel a Temperature Humidity Index (THI) can be used. It is an equivalent temperature intended for the general public to express the combined effects of air temperatures and

When mention about killing, the most focus aspect in animal welfare is slaughtering. However, from the animal’s view, this method will be the final stress for them compared to other stressful events such as transport and handling of animals to the slaughterhouse, unloading into a new environment inspection, further handling and restraint.

Those are the basic principles which is a must to be observed in order to ensure the safeguard for a good death :

a)Minimizing stress by the pre-slaughter handling and facilities.

b)The use of competent, well trained and caring personnel.

c)For fit purpose by using appropriate method.

d)An effective process that induces immediate unconsciousness and insensibility, or an induction to a period of unconsciousness without distress.

In assessing any slaughter system those principles is a consideration rather than just the killing