The feasibility of using passive injectable transponders in field operations for individual identification of sheep in Italy

摘要

This trial evaluates the feasibility of using passive injectable transponders (PITs) in field operationsby testing identification procedures on 185 one-year-old Biellese ewes reared undernomadic farming conditions. Commercial PITs of 3.85 ± 0.05 mm 31.2 mm were used at twoapplication sites, the armpit and the retro-auricular region. The two application sites were comparedtaking into account the ease of injection, animal reaction, injection duration, inflammatoryresponse, PIT readability at up to 12 months post-injection and PIT recovery at the slaughterhouse.The injection site influenced the reaction of the animal and the ease and duration of theinjection, but it did not affect the palpation and the reading findings during the rearing period.The injection site also influenced the PIT retrieval at the slaughterhouse depending on the operatorwho recovered the PIT. The readability values observed at the end of the observation periodfor both injection sites (83% in the retro-auricular region and 79% in the armpit region) weretoo low to be suitable for long-term animal identification. In addition, the failed retrieval of PITsat slaughter, determined the destruction of 40 (22%) carcases to avoid any risks in the foodchain. These findings suggest that the limited use of PITs is indicated when other methods ofelectronic identification cannot be employed, while a wider application of the device tested inthe present study is not recommended in farming practices.