INVESTIGATION OF PROCESSING FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO HEMORRHAGIC LEG SYNDROME IN BROILERS

Broiler processing trials were conducted to determine the effects of d ark-conditioning, electrical stunning, picking, and femoral vein flush ing on the occurrence of hemorrhagic leg syndrome (HLS). Broilers were processed using the following treatments: 1) dark-conditioning for 10 min, stunning, and killing in the dark; compared with controls proces sed by holding in coops, hanging, stunning, and killing in daylight; 2 ) electrical stunning with 100 V alternating current for 2 s compared with controls that were not stunned; 3) picking for 30 s in a rotary d rum picker compared with controls that were not picked; 4) flushing th e femoral vein with saline compared with controls that were not flushe d. After chilling, broiler legs were scored subjectively (1, 2, or 3) for the presence and severity of HLS. Scoring was based on a three poi nt scale with 1 = no apparent HLS, 2 = moderate HLS, and 3 = severe HL S. Results indicated that dark-conditioning, drum picking, and flushin g did not significantly (P > .05) increase or decrease the incidence o r severity of HLS. Electrical stunning consistently resulted in signif icantly (P < .05) higher incidence and severity of HLS. Flushing the f emoral vein reduced surface blood splash at the proximal end of the fe mur and resulted in less blood retention in the femoral vein.