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. 1999. Influence of housing conditions on responses of pigs to preslaughter treatment and consequences for meat quality. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 79: 285-291. The effects of housing conditions on behavioural and cortisol responses during preslaughter treatment, as well as the consequences for meat quality, were studied in 48 slaughter pigs. Pigs were either raised in intensive housing conditions ("standard" treatment: standard farrowing crates (4.2 m 2 ) followed by standard rearing pens (0.5 m 2 /pig) and fattening pens (0.8 m 2 /pig) or in extensive conditions ("enriched" treatment: larger farrowing pens (7.2 m 2 ) followed by larger rearing and fattening pens (both 1.2 m 2 /pig), all provided with straw).No differences in behaviour during transport or in any of the meat quality variables were found between treatments. During preslaughter handling, stockmen needed significantly less time to load pigs from standard housing conditions (standard: 56.8 ± 11.9 s; enriched: 93.7 ± 12.5 s). Standard pigs may have been more motivated to leave their pens in order to explore another environment than pigs from the enriched housing pens. Rise in salivary cortisol levels due to transport (standard: 6.68 ± 0.80 ng mL -1 ; enriched: 3.63 ± 0.58 ng mL -1 ) was difficult to interpret as omission of straw during the hours prior to transport apparently led to high baseline cortisol levels in enriched pigs (8.63 ± 1.27 ng mL -1 vs. 2.60 ± 0.37 ng mL -1 in standard pigs). The extensive housing system should be preferred as it is known to have positive effects on pig welfare, and does not lead to impaired meat quality. On ne relevait aucune différence de comportement en cours de transport ni parmi les variables de qualité de la viande entre les deux régimes de logement. Durant les manipulations préabattage, les préposés prenaient significativement moins de temps pour charger les porcs produits en conditions de logement standards, soit 56,8 ± 11,9 s contre 93,7 ± 12,5 s pour les porcs élevés dans le régime enrichi. Les porcs élevés en régime standard pourraient avoir été davantage motivés que ceux de l'autre groupe à quitter leur parquet pour explorer d'autres environnements. L'élévation des niveaux salivaires de cortisol en cours de transport, soit 6,68 ± 0,80 ng mL -1 pour les porcs du groupe standard contre 3,63 ± 0,58 ng mL -1 pour ceux du groupe enrichi, est difficile à interpréter vu que chez ces derniers l'absence de litière paillée dans les heures précédant le chargement s'était traduite par des niveaux de base plus élevés du cortisol, soit 8,63 ± 1,27 ng mL -1 contre 2,60 ± 0,37 ng mL -1 pour ceux de l'autre groupe. Le régime de logement élargi devrait avoir la préférence étant donné les effets positifs qu'il a sur le bien-être des porcs et qu'il n'entraîne pas de baisse de la qualité de la viande.Mots clés: Comportement, logement, qualité de la viande, physiologie, porc, abattage Increased public interest in meat from welfare-friendly systems has led to an increased number of farms that rear pigs in extensive housing conditions...

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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.

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Stress neuroendocrine systems (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system) were studied in 100 female pigs from each of the five main genetic lines used in Europe for pork production: Pié train, Large White, Landrace, Duroc and Meishan. Levels of cortisol and catecholamines were measured in urine collected at the farm, after transportation to the slaughterhouse and the next morning before slaughter. With the exception of the Pié train line that showed intermediate levels of cortisol despite its extreme leanness, a significant positive relationship was found between basal cortisol levels and fatness, both across and within (except in Pié train and Duroc) lines. Basal cortisol levels were 2.46-fold higher in Meishan (20.46 ng/mg creatinine) than in Large White pigs (8.30 ng/mg creatinine), the two extreme breeds. Post-transportation levels were highest but proportional to basal levels, suggesting that the adrenal reactivity to adrenocorticotropic hormone is a major source of variability between lines. Levels of catecholamines were less variable between lines but correlated also with fatness, partlyviapartial correlations with cortisol levels. In serum collected at exsanguination, creatine kinase activity was correlated with muscularity across the five breeds. However, this was due to a much larger activity than expected in Pié train pigs, although all animals were negative for the allele of the ryanodine receptor gene responsible for stress sensitivity. Serum glucose levels were inversely related to fatness. These data show that the differences between breeds or lines can be utilised by cross-breeding and that this can lead to changes in stress hormones and in turn to some degree of changes in carcass traits.