FACTORS THAT IMPEDE ANIMAL MOVEMENT AT SLAUGHTER PLANTS

Factors that impede animal movement in slaughter plants and that are l ikely to cause excitement, stress, or bruises are major mistakes in th e design of chutes and stockyard pens; lack of training or poor superv ision of employees; distractions that impede animal movement, such as sparkling reflections on a wet floor, air hissing, high-pitched noise, or air drafts blowing down the chute toward approaching animals; poor maintenance of facilities, such as worn out or slick floors that caus e animals to fall; and animals from genetic lines that have an excitab le temperament. Veterinarians need to be aware of these factors becaus e such factors can cause animals to balk and become excited, which may result in excessive prodding. When a handling system is being evaluat ed, one must be careful to discriminate between a major design mistake and small distractions that can be easily corrected, but that can rui n the performance of the best systems. A survey of 29 Canadian slaught er plants revealed that 21% (6 plants) had slick floors that would cau se animals to slip and fall, and 27% (8 plants) had high-pitched motor noise or hissing air that caused animals to balk. Air drafts blowing down the chutes, which will often impede animal movement, were a probl em in 10% (3) of the plants. Simple modifications of lighting and elim ination of air drafts and hissing will often greatly improve animal mo vement.