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The effects of regular moving and handling during the finishing period on behavioral and physiological responses of pigs during preslaughter treatment and consequences for meat quality were studied. From the age of 10 wk onward, 144 pigs were housed in groups of four (two gilts and two castrates) and subjected to one of the following treatments. The Environment treatment allowed pigs to move freely for 8 min outside their home pen. Then the pigs were transported in a box for 2 min, and after which they were returned to their home pen. In the Handling treatment, an experimenter remained for 3 min in the pen, and whenever a pig made contact, it was gently stroked. The experimenter then walked for an additional 1 min, without attempting to pat or stroke any pigs but subsequently held each pig in a tight grip for about 5 s. This entire procedure was then repeated. A Control treatment was also included, in which the pigs were subjected to no treatment. The Environment and Handling treatments were applied twice a week at the age of 15, 17, 19, 21, and 23 wk. At 25 wk of age, pigs were transported to the abattoir. They were held unmixed in the truck and in lairage and were manually stunned. The stockmen needed significantly less time to move Environment pigs out of their pen and into the transport box. There were no differences between treatments in salivary cortisol concentrations before or after transport. Environment and Handling pigs had paler meat than Control pigs. Glycogen content at 1 h after death and water-holding capacity were lower in Environment pigs than in Control pigs, but this did not lead to a higher incidence of PSE meat. We conclude that the pigs that had experience with leaving their home pen and some of the transport conditions were much easier to handle at loading. Pigs that are easier to move are less likely to be subjected to rough handling, which implies improved welfare, and the workload for personnel at the time of marketing is reduced. Differences in meat quality due to treatment were slight.

. 2000. Effects of rearing conditions on behavioural and physiological responses of pigs to preslaughter handling and mixing at transport. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 80: 451-458. The physiological and behavioural responses of slaughter pigs reared in either a barren environment or in an enriched environment (larger pens with straw bedding) to preslaughter handling and mixing at transport were studied. Enriched-reared pigs had higher salivary cortisol concentrations in the home pen before and after transport than barren housed pigs, but at the end of the lairage period salivary cortisol concentrations did not differ between enriched-and barren-housed pigs. In pigs reared in a barren environment, salivary cortisol concentrations increased significantly after transport and being in lairage, as compared to home pen salivary cortisol concentrations. In pigs reared in an enriched environment, salivary cortisol concentrations did not significantly change after any stage of preslaughter handling and transport as compared with home pen salivary cortisol concentrations. In the truck, pigs reared in a barren environment tended to spend more time walking, standing and manipulating other pigs than enriched-reared pigs. Moreover, pigs reared in a barren environment tended to spend more time walking and fighting in lairage than enriched-reared pigs. Results showed that rearing conditions may affect the behavioural and physiological responses of pigs to preslaughter handling and mixing at transport. The tendency for increased manipulation of pen mates and fighting, and the significant increases in salivary cortisol in response to mixing at transport and being in lairage in pigs reared in a barren environment indicate that pigs reared in a barren environment are likely to experience more stress during common preslaughter procedures than pigs reared in an enriched environment.

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