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Study on the Association between Tail Lesion Score, Cold Carcass Weight, and Viscera Condemnations in Slaughter Pigs
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2016-03-14
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Teixeira DL, Harley S, Hanlon A, O’Connell NE, More SJ, Manzanilla EG and Boyle LA (2016) Study on the Association between Tail Lesion Score, Cold Carcass Weight, and Viscera Condemnations in Slaughter Pigs. Front. Vet. Sci. 3:24. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2016.00024
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between tail lesions, cold carcass
weight, and viscera condemnations in an Irish abattoir. The following data were collected
at the evisceration point from every third pig slaughtered over 7 days: farm identification,
sex, tail lesion score, viscera inspection outcome, and cold carcass weight. Tail lesions
were scored according to a 5-point scale. Disease lesions responsible for lung (pleurisy,
pneumonia, and abscess), heart (pericarditis), and liver (ascariasis) condemnation were
recorded based on the decision of the veterinary inspector (VI). Data on 3,143 pigs from
61 batches were available. The relationship between disease lesions, tail lesion score,
and cold carcass weight was studied at individual carcass level, while the relationship
between disease lesions and tail lesion score was studied at both carcass and batch level.
Tail lesions (score ≥1) were found in 72% of the study population, with 2.3% affected by
severe tail lesions (scores ≥3). Pleurisy (13.7%) followed by pneumonia (10.4%) showed
the highest prevalence, whereas the prevalence of ascariasis showed the greatest
variation between batches (0–75%). Tail lesion score, pleurisy, pleuropneumonia, and
pericarditis were associated with reductions in carcass cold weight (P ≤ 0.05) ranging
from 3 to 6.6 kg. Tail lesion score was associated with condemnations for pleurisy,
pneumonia, and pleuropneumonia (P ≤ 0.05) at a batch level. VI shift was associated
with condemnations for pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, and pericarditis (P ≤ 0.05) at a
carcass level and with pneumonia at a batch level. Sex was not associated with viscera
condemnations but males were more likely to be affected by tail lesions. The relationship between overall tail lesion score and the lung diseases at batch level supports the
relationship between poor health and poor welfare of pigs on farms. The inclusion of tail
lesion scores at post-mortem meat inspection should be considered as a health and
welfare diagnostic tool.