Mortality Rates in Poultry Species and Categories during Transport for Slaughter

Abstract

Voslářová E., B. Janáčková, L. Rubešová, A. Kozák, I. Bedáňová, L. Steinhauser, V. Večerek: Mortality Rates in Poultry Species and Categories during Transport for Slaughter. Acta Vet. Brno 2007, 76: S101-S108.Transport-related mortality rates were compared for various poultry species and categories where published data are limited. The numbers of broilers, hens and cockerels, turkeys, ducks, and geese transported for slaughter, and the numbers that died during such transport, were recorded from 1997 to 2006 in cooperation with the State Veterinary Administration of the Czech Republic. The mortality rate for individual poultry species and categories was calculated overall, and was also recorded for the following transport distances: up to 50 km, from 51 km to 100 km, from 101 km to 200 km, from 201 km to 300 km, and over 300 km. Transport of poultry for slaughter was accompanied by varying mortality rates depending on poultry species and categories. The highest mortality rates occurred in hens and cockerels (1.013%), followed by turkeys (0.272%), broilers (0.253%), ducks (0.103%), and geese (0.056%). Differences among the mortality rates estimated were highly significant (p < 0.001). Mortality rates highly correlated with transport distance. The lowest mortality rates were for the shortest transport distances: In broilers (0.154%), turkeys (0.164%), and hens and cockerels (0.595%) for a transport distance up to 50 km; and in ducks (0.069-0.111%) and geese (0.021 -0.053%) for transport distances up to 300 km. Highest mortality rates in hens and cockerels (1.892%), turkeys (0.341%), and broilers (0.536%) were observed for transport distances over 200 km, while in ducks (0.147%) and geese (0.253%), highest mortality rates were with transport distances exceeding 300 km. The highest mortality rates for all transport distances were in hens and cockerels, followed by turkeys and broilers. The mortality rate in turkeys for a transport distance up to 50 km was significantly higher than that in broilers. No significant differences were found between mortality rates in turkeys and broilers for transport distances of 51-100 km and 101-200 km whereas, for a distance of 201-300 km and in distances exceeding 300 km, the mortality rates in broilers were significantly higher compared to turkeys. The lowest mortality rates were observed in ducks and geese, with a significant difference between them only for transport distances of 51 to 100 km, where the mortality rate in ducks was higher, and over 300 km, where the mortality rate in geese was higher. When planning the transport of poultry for slaughter, susceptibility to stress induced by transport and transport distance (i.e. the duration of transport) of poultry species and categories should be considered.

Transport-induced mortality in Pekin ducks transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic

“…In the period monitored, the mean number of ducks annually transported to slaughterhouses (2,054,503) was very similar to that reported earlier by Voslářová et al (2007b) in their study analysing the transport of poultry to slaughterhouses between 1997 and 2006. The mean annual mortality rate reported in the present study (0.077%) is, however, significantly lower than the mean transport-related mortality published in the aforementioned study (0.103%).…”

“…Ducks rank second among the poultry species most frequently used for meat production in the Czech Republic, by the number of birds annually transported to slaughterhouses 208 ( Voslářová et al 2007b). In the period monitored, the mean number of ducks annually transported to slaughterhouses (2,054,503) was very similar to that reported earlier by Voslářová et al (2007b) in their study analysing the transport of poultry to slaughterhouses between 1997 and 2006.…”

“…Death on arrival of other poultry species and categories was studied to a lesser extent. In the study of Voslářová et al (2007b) the highest mortality rate was found in hens and roosters (1.013%), the second highest, i.e. 0.272%, was found in turkeys and the third place was occupied by the aforementioned broiler mortality.…”

“…Poultry mortality related to transport to the slaughterhouse or acts that are linked with it are reported in many studies. Most studies deal with deaths identified on arrival in broiler chickens (Tabba and Alshawabkeh 2000; Nijdam et al 2004;Petracci et al 2006;Voslářová et al 2007b;Oba et al 2009;Vieira et al 2011). Death on arrival of other poultry species and categories was studied to a lesser extent.…”

“…Voslářová et al (2006) determined 0.18-0.37% (variation with travel distance and month) of DOA in turkeys. There are some studies on the factors associated with the transport of Pekin ducks to the slaughterhouse (Fernandez et al 2001;Zhu et al 2014) and their DOA (Voslářová et al 2007b) but to our knowledge the number of studies on this topic is very limited.…”