Introduction
Transport losses in market weight pigs (dead and nonambulatory pigs) represent animal welfare, legal, and economic concerns to the US swine industry. 1 First of all, improving the well-being of pigs during transport and reducing the incidence of dead and non-ambulatory pigs are animal welfare priorities for the US swine industry. 2 Secondly, non-ambulatory livestock are the subject of increased rules and regulations. For example, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors and plant welfare auditors evaluate how non-ambulatory pigs are handled at the packing plant. Improper handling of non-ambulatory pigs at the plant can result in a USDA non-compliance report and/or a failed plant welfare audit.3•4 Thirdly, transport losses represent direct financial losses to pork producers and packers, and these losses have been estimated to cost the US swine industry approximately $50 to $100 million annually.5 The objectives of this paper are to: 1) define transport losses; 2) estimate the US incidence of transport losses; 3) describe the symptoms and metabolic characteristics of fatigued pigs; 4) discuss pre-disposing factors for transport losses; 5) illustrate the seasonal variation in transport losses; and 6) outline management strategies to reduce these losses.
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This proceeding is from Ritter, M. J., M. Ellis, and A. K. Johnson. 2009. Transporting more dollars to the bank. Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. Dallas, Texas, pp. 541-545. Posted with permission.