Page 152 - The Welfare of Cattle

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Humane Slaughter Act requires access to water in all occupied cattle holding pens any time animals
are in them. It is very common for indoor holding pens to be bedded to control the accumulation of
liquid where animals are likely to lie down. Outdoor pens are not commonly bedded because the
bedding is difficult to maintain without protection from precipitation and wind. All federal and state-
inspected slaughter establishments in the United States are required to have a designated space for
animals that require extra attention during the inspection process. This space is commonly referred
to as a “Suspect Pen” because the animals are labeled as U.S. Suspect until their carcasses are
inspected during the slaughter process. Since animals that are likely to be identified as U.S. Suspect
commonly display health conditions that reduce their typical resistance to changes in temperature
and exposure to sun and rain, it is a legal mandate that the suspect pen must be covered by a roof.
Typically, animals that are destined for slaughter spend less than one day in lairage if they arrive
at a slaughter establishment during the work week and the plant is operating normally. If a plant
chooses to receive animals during the weekend with the intent of slaughtering them during the work
week or an equipment failure or other stoppage of plant operation occurs, it may be necessary to
hold animals in lairage for longer periods of time. There is no requirement regarding the maximum
amount of time that animals may be held in lairage, but all animals must be fed if they are held for
longer than 24 hours. The regulations do not specify the type of diet the animals must receive as
the primary objective of feeding animals that are held in slaughter facilities is to provide gut fill to
curb hunger.

PreSLaUGhter haNDLING

handling Principles

Calm and quiet actions serve as catalysts for successful handling after cattle arrive at the slaugh-
ter establishment. In plants that slaughter steers and heifers that were raised for the purpose of
becoming beef, the same handling principles that are commonly employed at the feed yard and
throughout the transportation process apply. Mature cattle, particularly dairy cows, require addi-
tional time and patience to handle in some cases. Lameness is a substantial contributing factor in
dairy culling decisions. Lame cows experience changes in their gait that slow their movement dur-
ing handling. In addition, many plants that slaughter mature dairy cows have dealt with challenges
in getting animals to move smoothly and willingly through their single file chutes and restrainer
entrances. This is a multifactorial problem to solve. First, dairy cattle are used to being handled
closely by people. As a result, pressure to the flight zone during handling may not be as effective as
we observe in fed cattle and beef cows. In addition, most dairy cattle have not experienced facili-
ties that resemble those in a large slaughter establishment. The novelty of a new facility to navigate
presents handling challenges for any type of cattle, but it is compounded by the lack of familiarity
in design afforded to beef cattle. Lameness also contributes to the challenge of moving mature dairy
cows into the restraint device prior to stunning.
For most facilities that slaughter mature dairy cows, the key to safe, efficient, and humane
handling lies in the selection and training of patient and skilled handlers. Many plants struggle to
identify viable options for the redesign of cull dairy cow handling facilities that remain conducive
to safety and efficiency. However, the quality of handling and skillset of the handlers can provide
substantial support for less-than-ideal facilities.

effects of handling on Meat Quality

The acute beef quality issues that occur as a result of handling are largely the result of physical
trauma during preslaughter handling and distress shortly before slaughter. Physical trauma appears