By Caroline Mitchell, Global Meat Specialist
Finisher weight at slaughter has increased, particularly over the last 5 years. This global trend can result in improved efficiencies, such as more saleable meat for the same or similar slaughter and butchery overheads. However, losses within the supply chain also occur as a direct consequence of the increased weights. Therefore, how can heavier finishers be best moved to slaughter to minimize such losses?
Caroline Mitchell is the owner/director of FQM Global a food quality management consultancy firm. Topigs Norsvin, the leading swine genetics company, use Caroline as their Global Meat Specialist within their Global Technical Services Team. She is responsible for Africa, Japan, Vietnam and various countries across Europe. Prior to establishing FQM Global in 2019, Caroline was director of Meat Science at JSR Genetics. She holds a master’s degree in Meat Science and Technology from the University of Bristol and a bachelor’s degree in Applied Biology from the University of Nottingham.
Main challenge of heavier finishers
What is the main challenge of heavier finishers at slaughter?
People keep telling me that moving heavier pigs is more difficult. And that is true for all the territories and supply chains I cover irrespective of genetics supplier. I believe there are three key reasons for this.
Difficulties moving heavier finishers
Why are heavier finishers difficult to move?
First, with heavier finishers, fewer pigs should be held per pen in the lairage to ensure compliance with stocking density. Many abattoirs have therefore extended their lairage facilities to ensure enough pigs are available to maintain the line speed. This means that in some cases, I have seen pigs being walked over 200 meters from the loading ramp to the pen, even though these animals have never walked more than a few meters at a time in their lives before. That is like asking someone who has only ever walked from their front door to their car to now run a marathon without training.
Second, a heavier pig has a higher metabolic rate and so needs more energy to move than its lighter peers. In my experience, a heavier pig can sometimes lack the energy it needs to cope with the challenges and stress of its final move from farm to slaughter.
Third, I observe that some supply chain practices are not optimized for moving heavier animals. For example, the feed withdrawal duration may need to be adjusted, as it plays a significant role in determining the amount of energy an animal has for its final move.
What can the supply chain do?
What actions can the supply chain take to mitigate these issues?
Think of the live animal supply chain from the pig’s perspective. For example, when you withdraw feed, ensure that the animals have been given enough food to cope with the challenges they will face during their last days of life. So, will they have enough energy to see them through the feed withdrawal period and be able to walk to the stun area?
In my view, the best supply chains are those where the farmer, transport hauler, and abattoir work closely together to ensure that delivery times are met and lairage duration is optimized. This approach allows the pigs sufficient time to rest between each potentially stressful experience, without exceeding the scientifically recommended feed withdrawal period.
Why is water important?
Is there anything else heavier finishers miss?
Yes, water. When animals are taken from well-managed, temperature-regulated buildings and transported in vehicles with passive ventilation under hot conditions, they will need a good drink upon arrival at lairage. At some of the facilities I’ve visited, the stocking in lairage is still based on a given number of pigs per pen. That makes it almost impossible for a heavier, and therefore larger, animal to move through the crowd and access the water it needs.