Pig production systems and related effects on pre-slaughter animal welfare and meat quality

Figures & data

Table 1. An overview of different studies assessing the efficiency of previous handling experience on the ease to handling at loading and meat quality.

Treatment	Duration	Results	Reference
Handling in the alley	Three weeks before loading for transport	Lower percentage of slow animals and shorter loading time	Abbott et al. (1997)
1. Spontaneous exit from the pen, slow pace handling to the truck, transport, unloading and return to the home pen 2. Presence of humans in the pen, negative and positive handling at each contact	Grow-to-finish, twice/week	Faster exit from the pen and shorter loading time in pigs accustomed to the presence of humans; slightly paler loins	Geverink et al. (1998)
Regular handling	Five days before loading for transport	Higher pHu values in the loin muscle due to lower stress at loading	Pommier et al. (1998)
Handling from pen to the loading area	The day before loading for transport	Shorter loading time, lower percentage of NANI and total transport losses	Stewart et al. (2008)
Regular positive or mildly negative handling in the pen	40 days before loading for transport	No effect on meat quality	Terlouw et al. (2005)
Physical training (walk for 1.2 km) Psychological training (voluntarily access to a ramp installed in the finishing pen)	Nine days before loading 11 days before loading	Lower heart rate in psychological and/or physical training Greater ease of handling (less stops and handler interventions on the ramp) in physically trained pigs	Goumon et al. (2013)

NANI: non-ambulatory, non-injured pigs

Abbott TA, Hunter EJ, Guise HJ, Penny RHC. 1997. The effect of experience of handling on pigs’ willingness to move. Appl Anim Behav Sci. 54(4):371–375.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Geverink NA, Kappers A, van de Burgwal JA, Lambooij E, Blokhuis HJ, Wiegant VM. 1998. Effects of regular moving and handling on the behavioral and physiological responses of pigs to preslaughter treatment and consequences for subsequent meat quality. J Anim Sci. 76(8):2080–2085.

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Pommier SA, Pomar C, Godbout D. 1998. Effect of the halothane genotype and stress on animal performance, carcass composition and meat quality of crossbred pigs. Can J Anim Sci. 78(3):257–264.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Stewart G, Ritter MJ, Culbertson M, Mann G, Wofford R. 2008. Effects of previous handling and feed withdrawal prior to loading on transport losses in market weight pigs. Proceedings of the 2008 American Association of Swine Veterinarians; San Diego, CA. p. 359–362.

 Google Scholar

Terlouw EMC, Porcher J, Fernandez X. 2005. Repeated handling of pigs during rearing. II. Effect of reactivity to humans on aggression during mixing and on meat quality. J Anim Sci. 83(7):1664–1672.

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Goumon S, Bergeron R, Faucitano L, Crowe T, Connor ML, Gonyou HW. 2013. Effect of previous ramp exposure and regular handling on heart rate, ease of handling and behaviour of near market-weight pigs during a simulated loading. Can J Anim Sci. 93(4):461–470.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Data availability statement

The data presented in this review are available on request from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.