Evaluation of pre-slaughter losses of Italian heavy pigs

A retrospective observational study evaluated the risk factors for pre-slaughter losses (i.e. animal deaths occurring during transport and lairage) and their economic impact in Italian heavy pigs (about 160 kg body weight). Of the 3,344,730 pigs transported, 1,780 (0.053%) died before slaughter, with most losses occurring during transport (56.6%). The estimated economic impact was of € 424,000. The percentage of batches with at least one animal lost pre-slaughter increased during summer (P<0.001). The proportion of pre-slaughter losses was higher when journey lasted above 90 min (P<0.001) and was correlated with transport duration (P<0.01). Losses were higher (P<0.01) in batches transported at low stocking densities (i.e., when heavier pigs were transported). Batches with lower slaughtering order (i.e., longer lairage time) had higher proportions of losses (P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of a given batch to have at least one animal lost pre-slaughter were 1.32 times higher for batches slaughtered in summer, 1.54 times higher if journey durations exceeded 90 min, 1.25 times higher for batches with low slaughtering order, and not significantly influenced by stocking density during transport.