It's okay to starve your pigs a bit before slaughter: New research indicates that feed restriction for 12 hours before loading pigs for slaughter has no adverse effect on performance, carcass weight, meat quality or welfare

摘要

Feed restriction before slaughter is a relatively easy way to reduce bacterial contamination of carcasses resulting from punctured stomachs at the abattoir In addition, it has been reported to save on feed costs, reduce mortality in transport, improvekilling out percentage and reduce the amount of waste. However, prolonged feed restriction may have a negative impact on pig welfare and carcass and meat quality. Therefore, the aim of this trial was to investigate the effect of several feed restriction periods prior to slaughter on performance, meat quality and feeding behaviour of pigs.