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Article
Farm and pig factors affecting welfare during the marketing process
Journal of Animal Science
  • Anna K. Johnson, Iowa State University
  • Leah M. Gesing, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • M. Ellis, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • J. J. McGlone, Texas Tech University
  • E. Berg, North Dakota State University
  • Steven M. Lonergan, Iowa State University
  • Robert F. Fitzgerald, Iowa State University
  • Locke A. Karriker, Iowa State University
  • Alejandro Ramirez, Iowa State University
  • Kenneth J. Stalder, Iowa State University
  • Avi Sapkota, Iowa State University
  • Rebecca K. Kephart, Iowa State University
  • Joshua T. Selsby, Iowa State University
  • Larry J. Sadler, Iowa State University
  • Matthew J. Ritter, Elanco Animal Health
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2013
DOI
10.2527/jas.2012-6114
Abstract

The objective of this paper is to review the scientific literature to identify on-farm factors that contribute to market weight pig transportation losses. Transportation of market weight pigs is an essential element to the multisite pork production model used in the United States. In 2011 alone, approximately 111 million market weight pigs were transported from the finishing site to the abattoir. For pigs, the marketing process can present a combination of potentially novel, physical, and/or unfamiliar experiences that can be stressful. If the pig cannot cope with these sequential and additive stressors, then an increased rate of transportation losses could occur with a detrimental effect on pork carcass value. Current yearly estimates for transport losses are 1 million pigs (1%). A variety of market weight pig and farm factors have been reported to detrimentally affect transportation losses. By understanding how pigs interact with their environment during marketing, researchers, producers, and personnel at the abattoir may begin to identify, prioritize, and attempt to minimize or eliminate these stressors. This process will ultimately decrease transportation losses, improve pork quality, and increase profitability.

Comments

This article is from Journal of Animal Science 91 (2013): 2481–2491, doi:10.2527/jas.2012-6114.

Copyright Owner
American Society of Animal Science
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Anna K. Johnson, Leah M. Gesing, M. Ellis, J. J. McGlone, et al.. "Farm and pig factors affecting welfare during the marketing process" Journal of Animal Science Vol. 91 Iss. 6 (2013) p. 2481 - 2491
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alejandro_ramirez/2/