Research Article

Assessment of slaughter exsanguination in fatteners with a different backfat thickness

Krzysztof Tereszkiewicz, Karolina Choroszy

Rzeszow University of Technology, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 13(3), 2014, 85‒98

Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate exsanguination of fatteners with a different backfat thickness. The study covered 126 gilts of Polish Landrace, examined in Pig Performance Testing Station in Chorzelów and slaughtered at the body weight of 100 kg. During slaughter the weight of blood from the wound and the weight of blood collected at each minute of exsanguination was measured. The tests of exsanguination were performed on the samples of the neck muscle (musculi colli), the diaphragm muscle (diaphragma musculus) and the internal oblique abdomen muscle (musculus internus abdominis obliguus). To assess the influence of fat content on exsanguination the animals were divided into two groups depending on the average backfat thickness from five measurements: Group I – below 1.40 cm, Group 2 – above 1.40 cm. It was shown that fatteners with a smaller backfat thickness showed a more favourable course of exsanguination and a higher weight and percentage of slaughter blood and blood output in the first minute of exsanguination. No influence of fat content on the exsanguination rate of the examined muscles was observed.

Keywords: fatteners, slaughter, exsanguination, exsanguination rate, backfat thickness