Stress factors during cattle slaughter

Monitoring animal welfare at a slaughterhouse\udis somehow different from the situation\udon the farm. The throughput numbers can be\udvery high, and there is no possibility to know\udthe individual history, background or habits of\udeach animal. The animals are unfamiliar to\udthe staff and viceversa. Furthermore, most animals\udwill be unknown to each other even if\udthey may be delivered in groups or batches,\udand it is not rare to see mixing of completely\udunfamiliar animals. The slaughter plants’\udenvironment is of course completely unknown\udto the animals, with large areas not always\uddesigned to minimize noise or visual distraction\udfor animals. Sub-optimal handling of animals\udcan unfortunately be seen at many\udslaughterhouses, where animals are coerced\udroughly, using sticks or prods and loud voices,\udforcing the animals to move fast in the desired\uddirection. Vets need to be aware of these factors\udbecause they can cause excessive prodding\udfor animals, which may become balking,\udexcited and stressed. A survey of 10 italian\udslaughter plants revealed that: 5 plants had\udslick floors that would cause animals to slip\udand fall, 9 plants had high pitched motor noise\udor hissing air that made animals balking; air\uddrafts blowing down the chutes, which will\udoften impede animal movement, were a problem\udin 9 of the observed plants. Simple modifications\udof lighting and elimination of air drafts\udand hissing will often greatly improve animal\udmovement