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Effect of the Halothane Gene on Pre-Slaughter Mortality in Two Spanish Commercial Pig Abattoirs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

E Fàbrega ,
A Diestre ,
D Carrión ,
J Font  and
X Manteca
E Fàbrega
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Monells, Spain
A Diestre
Affiliation:
Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Centre de Tecnologia de la Carn, Monells, Spain
D Carrión
Affiliation:
Pig Improvement Company Europe, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain
J Font
Affiliation:
Pinsos Baucells, Tona, Spain
X Manteca*
Affiliation:
Unitat de Fisiologia Animal, Facultat de Veterinària, Universität Autonòma de Barcelona, 08193-Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
*
§ Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: xavier.manteca@uab.es
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Abstract

A total of 107 ear samples from all the pigs that died during transport or lairage at two commercial abattoirs were collected during two months (February and July), in order to determine their halothane genotype (NN, Nn or nn). The frequencies of the three halothane genotypes among dead pigs were significantly different (P < 0.001), being 4.7%, 24.3% and 71.0% for NN, Nn and nn individuals, respectively. The frequencies of pre-slaughter deaths within each genotype were estimated to be 0.02%, 0.09% and 2.29% for NN, Nn and nn genotypes, respectively. According to these results, the removal of both nn and Nn genotypes would give rise to an eleven-fold reduction in the pre-slaughter mortality rate (from 0.22% to 0.02%). It is therefore suggested that, from an animal welfare point of view, the elimination of the halothane gene in existing breeding schemes would have a major beneficial impact.

Keywords

animal welfarehalothane genelairagemortality ratepigtransport
Type
Short Communication
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , November 2002 , pp. 449 - 452
Copyright
© 2002 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

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