Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain
ABSTRACT: Broiler mortality during transport and lairage, prior to slaughter, has negative welfare and economic implications. Knowledge of the factors affecting the dead-on-arrival (DOA) rate can help identify risk-mitigating strategies. The objectives of this study were to determine the DOA rate in...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-06-01
|
| Series: | Poultry Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257912300158X |
| _version_ | 1797819877613895680 |
|---|---|
| author | S.E. Allen C.D. Parker K.L.P. Verheyen C.J. Nicol Y.M. Chang |
| author_facet | S.E. Allen C.D. Parker K.L.P. Verheyen C.J. Nicol Y.M. Chang |
| author_sort | S.E. Allen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT: Broiler mortality during transport and lairage, prior to slaughter, has negative welfare and economic implications. Knowledge of the factors affecting the dead-on-arrival (DOA) rate can help identify risk-mitigating strategies. The objectives of this study were to determine the DOA rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain and associated risk factors. Requested data for all loads of broilers transported to slaughter by 5 large British commercial companies on 57 randomly-selected dates in 2019 were obtained and combined with weather data extracted from the Met Office MIDAS Open database. The DOA rate was described overall and per load using summary descriptive statistics. Mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to evaluate considered flock-, journey- and weather-related risk factors. Results were reported as incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). On the selected dates, 25,476 loads transported 146,219,189 broilers to slaughter. The overall mean DOA rate was 0.08%. The median DOA rate per load was 0.06% (interquartile range 0.03–0.09%; range 0.00–17.39%). Multiple risk factors were identified including loading temperature and catch method. At relative humidity ≤80%, the DOA rate was 16.89 (95% CI 15.25–18.70, P < 0.001) times higher for loads loaded in external ambient temperatures >30.0°C compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C. When relative humidity was >80%, there was a 43% increase in DOA rate for loads loaded in temperatures below freezing compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C (IRR 1.43, 95% CI 1.35–1.52, P < 0.001). The DOA rate was 32% higher for loads caught mechanically compared to those caught manually (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23–1.42, P < 0.001). The overall DOA rate was lower than that previously reported in Great Britain and for other European countries. Most identified risk factors had a marginal effect, however, loading temperatures >30°C substantially increased DOA rate. Internal thermal environmental conditions were not evaluated. Avoidance of loading during periods of hot weather would improve the welfare of, and reduce economic losses in, broiler chickens. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:30:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d9d5ae65ca74fb08f14f7c7c0fbf35c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0032-5791 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T09:30:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Poultry Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d9d5ae65ca74fb08f14f7c7c0fbf35c2023-05-26T04:20:42ZengElsevierPoultry Science0032-57912023-06-011026102634Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great BritainS.E. Allen0C.D. Parker1K.L.P. Verheyen2C.J. Nicol3Y.M. Chang4Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, United Kingdom; Corresponding author:Slate Hall Veterinary Practice, Metheringham, Lincolnshire LN4 3HX, United KingdomDepartment of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, United KingdomDepartment of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, United KingdomDepartment of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London NW1 0TU, United KingdomABSTRACT: Broiler mortality during transport and lairage, prior to slaughter, has negative welfare and economic implications. Knowledge of the factors affecting the dead-on-arrival (DOA) rate can help identify risk-mitigating strategies. The objectives of this study were to determine the DOA rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain and associated risk factors. Requested data for all loads of broilers transported to slaughter by 5 large British commercial companies on 57 randomly-selected dates in 2019 were obtained and combined with weather data extracted from the Met Office MIDAS Open database. The DOA rate was described overall and per load using summary descriptive statistics. Mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to evaluate considered flock-, journey- and weather-related risk factors. Results were reported as incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). On the selected dates, 25,476 loads transported 146,219,189 broilers to slaughter. The overall mean DOA rate was 0.08%. The median DOA rate per load was 0.06% (interquartile range 0.03–0.09%; range 0.00–17.39%). Multiple risk factors were identified including loading temperature and catch method. At relative humidity ≤80%, the DOA rate was 16.89 (95% CI 15.25–18.70, P < 0.001) times higher for loads loaded in external ambient temperatures >30.0°C compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C. When relative humidity was >80%, there was a 43% increase in DOA rate for loads loaded in temperatures below freezing compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C (IRR 1.43, 95% CI 1.35–1.52, P < 0.001). The DOA rate was 32% higher for loads caught mechanically compared to those caught manually (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23–1.42, P < 0.001). The overall DOA rate was lower than that previously reported in Great Britain and for other European countries. Most identified risk factors had a marginal effect, however, loading temperatures >30°C substantially increased DOA rate. Internal thermal environmental conditions were not evaluated. Avoidance of loading during periods of hot weather would improve the welfare of, and reduce economic losses in, broiler chickens.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257912300158Xtransportmortalitybroilerrisk factorwelfare |
| spellingShingle | S.E. Allen C.D. Parker K.L.P. Verheyen C.J. Nicol Y.M. Chang Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain Poultry Science transport mortality broiler risk factor welfare |
| title | Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain |
| title_full | Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain |
| title_fullStr | Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain |
| title_short | Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain |
| title_sort | effects of external ambient temperature at loading journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead on arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in great britain |
| topic | transport mortality broiler risk factor welfare |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S003257912300158X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seallen effectsofexternalambienttemperatureatloadingjourneydurationandflockcharacteristicsonthedeadonarrivalrateinbroilerchickenstransportedtoslaughteringreatbritain AT cdparker effectsofexternalambienttemperatureatloadingjourneydurationandflockcharacteristicsonthedeadonarrivalrateinbroilerchickenstransportedtoslaughteringreatbritain AT klpverheyen effectsofexternalambienttemperatureatloadingjourneydurationandflockcharacteristicsonthedeadonarrivalrateinbroilerchickenstransportedtoslaughteringreatbritain AT cjnicol effectsofexternalambienttemperatureatloadingjourneydurationandflockcharacteristicsonthedeadonarrivalrateinbroilerchickenstransportedtoslaughteringreatbritain AT ymchang effectsofexternalambienttemperatureatloadingjourneydurationandflockcharacteristicsonthedeadonarrivalrateinbroilerchickenstransportedtoslaughteringreatbritain |