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The aim of this study was to investigate associations between ear, tail, and skin lesions, hernias, bursitis, and rectal prolapses at the abattoir and meat inspection outcomes in slaughter pigs, including carcass condemnations and trimmings, carcass weight, and carcass quality. This was an observational study whereby pigs were managed according to routine practices in a single abattoir. Data were collected from 1816 pigs. The relationship between animal-based welfare and post-mortem outcomes was analyzed using generalized mixed models (Proc Glimmix). Our findings showed that tail lesions were associated with entire carcass condemnations and trimmings (P 0.001), a reduction in carcass weight (P 0.05), and a potential to impair carcass quality by reducing muscle pH (P 0.05), especially in carcasses from male pigs (P 0.05). Additionally, hernias were associated with viscera condemnation (P 0.05) and a reduction in carcass weight (P 0.05). Therefore, our findings confirm that ante-mortem inspection could be useful to predict post-mortem outcomes in the same pigs, especially in cases of tail lesions and hernia, which might trigger attention of the veterinary inspector in charge of the post-mortem inspection.

Tryptophan (Trp) is an amino acid used as precursor for several molecules in the body, including serotonin. Serotonin is involved in a broad range of physiological and behavioral functions, including stress response. Because serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, supply of Trp to the brain could be used to elevate serotonin synthesis and release. Evidence in monogastric species indicates that Trp supplementation may increase circulating serotonin and reduces stress response, but there is conflicting evidence in the literature about degradation of Trp in the rumen. Some authors indicated that Trp is degraded slowly in the rumen and that it may remain available to be absorbed, whereas others observed that it is quickly degraded by rumen bacteria. Thus, the goal of the experiment was to test if supplementation of free L-Trp in steers may increase plasma Trp and serotonin, thus changing behavior and reducing circulating concentrations of hormones that are related to stress response. Four hybrid steers were used in a Latin square design with supplementation of L-Trp at 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg BW/d for one week and three weeks as washout period. Blood samples were analyzed for amino acids, adrenocorticotropic hormone, adrenaline, cortisol, serotonin, and glucose. Videos were used to evaluate posture and activities every 10 minutes. Results indicated no effect of diet or diet by day interaction for most of the evaluated variables and activities. The only difference detected was a diet effect on time spent inactive. Steers receiving 150 mg Trp/kg BW spent more time inactive than steers in the control (69.51 ± 2.01 vs. 60.9 ± 1.92; P = 0.0305). We concluded that it was not possible to raise plasma Trp in steers using up to 150 mg/kg BW/d free Trp and that higher doses might be needed to increase plasma Trp and Trp:large neutral amino acid ratio, and to induce meaningful behavioral changes in steers.

Heat stress has been recognised as a serious problem in dairy farms. The study goal was to assess the effects of climatic conditions on physiological and behavioural responses of dairy cows in Central Chile. Data of tympanic temperature (TT), panting score, respiration rate (RR), and shade utilization of cows from two genotypes, Holstein (H) and Holstein x Montbeliarde (HM), were collected twice per day (AM/PM) during three periods of the summer season in Central Chile. Moreover, three thermal comfort indices: Comprehensive climate index (CCI), temperature humidity-index (THI), and adjusted THI were estimated using meteorological data. The hour of each day was classified as “Normal” or “Stressful” based on CCI threshold of 25 °C. Statistical analysis included ANOVA, repeated measures analysis and Chi square test (a=0.05). There was an interaction of genotype x CCI condition x period (P=0.0026) with the highest TT of both genotypes under a stressful condition within each period. In addition, interactions of genotype x hour (P

In the last few decades there has been increased consumer interest in the fatty acid (FA) composition of ruminant meat due to its content of saturated FAs, which have been implicated in diseases associated with modern life. However, recent studies have questioned the recommendations to reduce intake of fat, saturated FAs and cholesterol as a means of reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Interestingly, ruminant meat has some bioactive lipids such as C18:1t11 and C18:2 c9, t11 which have been reported to have positive effects on human health. In order to improve muscle fat composition from a human health standpoint, oilseeds, plant oils and marine oils can be used in ruminant diets. On the other hand, molecular mechanisms play an important role in the alteration of the FA composition of muscle fat. Genetics offer a wide range of possibilities for improvement of muscle fat composition by identifying different loci underlying the expression of quantitative traits. While significant progress has been made in characterizing the influence of diet on the FA composition of ruminant meat, the use of genetic tools can favor genotypes that could maximize their genetic potential through the diet. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

In many industrialised countries, public rejection of intensive animal production systems has led to the development of legislation and industry actions that have resulted in significant changes in animal care at the farm level. However, little is known about the views of citizens from emerging countries regarding animal production. The aims of this study were to explore the views of Brazilian and Chilean consumers towards egg farming, and to investigate if these views are associated with participants' eggs purchasing habits and reported willingness to pay (WTP) more for eggs produced in the conditions they perceive as important. In an open question, participants (n = 716) were asked to describe an ideal egg production farm and explain their reasons. This was followed by closed questions asking egg purchasing habits, willingness to pay for eggs produced in the conditions they perceive as important and demographic information. Participants main concerns were with animal welfare, naturalness, hygiene, production, and ethical aspects, which many associated with improved health, sensory, and nutritional quality of the eggs. The views of participants towards an ideal egg production farm were associated, to some extent, with type of egg purchasing habits and WTP a premium for organic or free-range eggs. Our results suggest a demand for more natural, animal friendly egg production systems; furthermore, they indicate a disconnect between lay citizens' expectations and industry practices, given that intensive confined systems typically fail to supply many of the expected characteristics.

Because of its fast growth, high forage yield and nutritive value summer turnips (Brassica rapa L.) have become one of the main supplementary crops in livestock systems of southern Chile. There is information of its effect on the productive response of beef cattle, although its effect on beef characteristics has not been studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the summer supplementation of turnips on the beef characteristic of dairy steers. Holstein Friesian steers (n=27; 406kg live weight) were allocated to 3 treatment groups (n=9): pasture plus concentrate (Control), 50% turnips (T(50)), and 70% turnips (T(70)). The two last diets with hay and maize. The performance productive of the steers were determined. The physicochemical and sensory attributes, and the fatty acid composition of the longissimus dorsi muscle were determined. The pasture-fed steers showed higher weight gain than turnips-fed animals. T(50) beef showed higher intramuscular fat and pasture-fed steers showed higher fat thickness. Turnips finishing increased the proximal composition (MS%; PC%; EE% and Ash% (Fe%, Na%, Mn%)), PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and redder, whereas shear force and lightness fat tended to decrease. Pasture-fed had the higher 11t-/10t-18:1 ratio and less cholesterol content than turnips-fed steers. Pasture and turnips reduced the n-6/n-3 ratio (

Beef imports in Chile have increase annually by close to 10% in the past 10 years, threatening the national industry. Understanding the importance of different attributes may help guide a strategy for the local beef industry. Thus, the goal of the study was to identify which attributes observable at the point of sale influence the beef buying process. The sample was a set of 406 price observations, search attributes (intrinsic and extrinsic cues), and credence attributes of differentiated beef. The study was conducted in 15 counties in the Metropolitana region in Chile, and the results indicated that among differentiated beef, the highest valued attributes were low fat and natural. In addition, Angus and Wagyu beef, breeds associated by consumers with increased tenderness and flavor, were highly valued. Finally, processed beef products (portioned, marinated, or seasoned) were more valued than unprocessed products. An important and unexpected result is that highlighting Chile as the country of origin is a negatively valued attribute.

The objective of this work was to compare feedlot performance, carcass characteristics, and beef sensory attributes from steers finished with diets based on corn, high-tannin sorghum (HTS), and a mix of both grains. Angus crossbred steers (n = 11 steers per treatment, initial BW = 404 +/- 18 kg) were finished on diets containing 765 g/kg of DM of corn, HTS, or a 1:1 mix of corn and HTS. Final BW (P or = 0.72). Multivariate ANOVA indicated a difference in sensory attributes of beef from corn and HTS steers (Wilks' Lambda, P = 0.04). When evaluating each sensory attribute independently, panelists found beef from steers fed HTS to be less juicy (P < 0.01), less tender (P = 0.03), and more cooked (P < 0.01) than beef from animals fed corn. Data from this study indicated that by using a 1:1 mix of HTS and corn it is possible to finish steers to similar BW and carcass quality as by using a corn-based diet. Also, total replacement of corn by HTS in the diets produced lighter and leaner animals. Total replacement of corn by HTS in the finishing diet changed beef sensory attributes, reducing the perception of beef tenderness and juiciness by panelists but without changing instrumental tenderness.

Public concern about chemically synthesized antioxidants has stimulated research on natural antioxidants, such as dietary flavonoids, to prevent oxidative deterioration in muscle foods. We hypothesized that feeding cranberry juice powder, a rich source of flavonoids to pigs, would increase the oxidative stability of pork products. The cranberry diet altered the time-course changes of color measurements in bacon but not in loin chops. Bacon from cranberry-fed animals showed a slower decrease in both a* values and chroma, and a slower increase in hue angle. Lipid peroxides but not thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances were significantly higher in frozen patties from the cranberry-fed pigs. The existence of apparently opposite effects and possible mechanisms of action of a cranberry diet on oxidative stability of frozen patties and bacon are discussed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Long-term feeding with cranberry juice powder altered the time-course changes of color and lipid oxidation in pork products. However, anti- and pro-oxidant effects were observed depending on the product evaluated (bacon or patties). Long-term feeding of pigs with flavonoid-rich diets may potentially reduce oxidation in pork products made from supplemented animals but further studies are needed to understand muscle × processing interactions.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of digital images (DI) to estimate CIE L∗a∗b∗, hue angle and chroma of beef, as compared to a colorimeter (CM). Loin samples from 21 steers finished with high-grain diets were displayed under retail-simulated conditions. Color readings were obtained from 63 cores covering the full spectrum of discoloration in beef. CIE L∗, a∗, and b∗ were measured with a surface-reflectance CM. Red, green and blue (RGB) values were obtained from DI and sequentially transformed to XYZ and CIE L∗a∗b∗ color space. Hue angle and chroma were calculated from a∗ and b∗ values. Regressions of CM on DI for a∗, hue angle and chroma had R2 values of 0.93 and above. Average color difference ( Δ E ab ∗ ) between the predicted and the actual CM L∗, a∗, and b∗ values for 13 samples that were not included in the regressions was 1.57, below reported thresholds of detection for 50% of observers. Color readings from DI could be used to accurately predict color coordinates measured by CM, especially a∗, hue angle and chroma. Use of digital imaging could become a practical tool to detect changes in beef color and other muscle foods.

Plant peptidases are involved in protein degradation in the rumen of grazing animals, but little is known about the variation in their activity under anaerobic conditions at 39°C. We investigated the activity of endogenous peptidases in 342 accessions of grass and legume forages and the molecular weight and class of peptidases in a sub-sample of them. Proteolytic activity was measured by in vitro incubation of tissue over a gelatin substrate. Molecular weight and class of peptidases were assessed by zymograms. A wide range in proteolytic activity index (PAI) was detected (mean PAI = 0.35, ranged from 0.00 to 1.30). More than 88% of the observed variance was due to differences in genus, species, and cultivar. Most of the species had one main peptidase, and their molecular weights ranged from 54 to 130 kDa. In the six species tested, proteases present corresponded to the serine class. The wide variation in proteolysis observed and the predominant occurrence of one peptidase of the same enzyme class support the idea that a reduction of protease activity in forages can be achieved by genetic improvement.

Se recolecto la informacion de una muestra aleatoria de 5067 canales faenadas en dos plantas faenadoras de Chile, en un periodo de seis meses con el fin de estudiar el efecto de la edad, el peso de la canal, el sexo, la distancia de transporte, la permanencia en corrales, el momento de faena, el uso implantes, la fecha de faena y la planta faenadora, en la reprobacion de canales por pHu (pH ultimo, medido 24 h postmortem) mayor a 5,9 o carne ?dark-firm-dry? (DFD) debido a un bajo contenido de glucogeno muscular previo a la faena. De los factores estudiados, se observo que los porcentajes de reprobacion se ven afectados por el genero del animal (11,98% en hembras y 35,92% en machos), pero no lo afecta la cronometria dentaria, peso de la canal, ni el momento de faena (manana o tarde). Ademas, existio una mayor reprobacion cuando los animales: recorrieron una distancia de transporte mayor a 960 km (38,21 ? 29,58%), permanecieron mas de 26 h en corrales de espera (39,63 ? 28,04%), no fueron sometidos a manejos de implantes (44,77- 32,72%), fueron faenados en los meses de Enero-Febrero (39,08%) comparados con los faenados en Marzo-Abril (31,18%), y finalmente existen diferencias significativas entre ambas plantas faenadoras (35,24% en Santiago y 8,2% en Temuco). Es dificil cuantificar la importancia que cada factor individual tiene sobre carne DFD, sin embargo, se observo que la permanencia en corrales puede ser determinante y facilmente reducible.

Two experiments were conducted to challenge nursery and growing pigs to increased levels of dietary fat (5–10% as fed), using a crystallised powdered oil mix (CPOM), produced by a modified freeze-drying process. Growth performance of nursery pigs was determined and a digestibility trial was also conducted with growing pigs (Experiment 2). The CPOM was compared, at similar levels of lipid inclusion (10% total lipids), with other fat sources commonly used in swine diet, namely soybean oil (SBO) and hydrogenated palm oil. For the growth assay (Experiment 1), the CPOM was prepared and added at different levels (0%, 2.6% and 3.8%) commonly used in commercial diets (Phase 1–4 diets). Seventy-five weaning pigs (28 days of age) were housed in 15 pens (5 pigs per pen) and randomly assigned into the three dietary treatments until 70 days of age. Growth performance and feed utilisation were compared weekly among experimental groups. The use of CPOM improved average daily gain (~60%), and increased average daily feed intake by 40% and 50% at the 2.6% and 3.8% CPOM levels respectively. In the digestibility trial (Experiment 2), pigs fed with 5% incorporation of CPOM (10% of total lipid content) had digestibility of energy and ether extract similar to those fed the SBO-supplemented diet, although the SBO diet had a significantly greater polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration. The powdered crystallisation process of the CPOM fat allowed an equivalent digestibility of this fat source with more saturated fatty acids, and the physical-property effect of this processed oil source on apparent total-tract digestibility should be further studied.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of adding ractopamine (RAC) and amino acids (AA) to the diet on growth performance, carcass characteristics, commercial cuts yield, meat quality and residues in liver and muscle. Ninety-two crossbred castrated pigs (97.96 + 2.32 kg) were randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments: a Control diet with 0 mg kg -1 of RAC and a RAC+AA diet with 10 mg RAC kg -1 , for the last 27 days. Pigs of RAC+AA group had greater average daily gain (ADG), gain to feed ratio (G:F) and final bodyweight (P≤0.05) and tended to have lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p=0.084) than Control pigs. Carcasses from RAC+AA animals were heavier than controls (P≤0.05). Dressing percentage and backfat depth were not affected (P>0.05) by diet. Weights of head and skin were not different between treatments, but RAC+AA pigs had greater weights of boneless center loin, ribs, boneless ham and shoulders, tenderloin, neck, rear shank and trimmings (P≤0.05). The addition of RAC+AA did not affect crude protein and water content of loins but tended to reduce ether extract (p=0.08). Drip loss, pH, and cooking loss in pork were not different. Shear force tended (p=0.092) to be higher in RAC+AA. No differences in L* and b* color coordinates were found but a* values were lower in RAC+AA. Hue angle and chroma did not differ. Confidence limits at 90% were determined for residues in muscle and liver, obtaining values from -2.7 to 3.4 μg kg -1 and -6.7 to 10.6 μg kg -1 , respectively, both below the limits established by Codex Alimentarius. Dietary inclusion of RAC+AA at 10 mg RAC kg -1 in the diet of finishing pigs improved growth performance and produced heavier carcasses and commercial cuts, had minimal effects in pork characteristics and produced pork and liver with RAC residues below limits from Codex Alimentarius . El objetivo de este estudio fue medir el efecto de la adicion de ractopamina (RAC) y aminoacidos (AA) en la dieta sobre el crecimiento, caracteristicas de la canal, rendimiento de cortes comerciales, caracteristicas de la carne y residuos en higado y musculo. Noventa y dos cerdos castrados (97,96 + 2,32 kg) fueron asignados aleatoriamente a dos dietas: un Control con 0 mg kg -1 de RAC y a una dieta RAC+AA con 10 mg RAC kg -1 , durante los ultimos 27 dias de engorda. Los cerdos RAC+AA tuvieron mayor ganancia diaria de peso (GDP), eficiencia de conversion alimenticia (ECA) y peso final (P≤0,05) y tendieron a comer menos (P=0,084). Las canales del grupo RAC+AA fueron mas pesadas (P≤0,05), pero son diferencias en rendimiento y espesor de grasa dorsal. El peso de cabeza y plancha no fue diferente, pero el grupo RAC+AA tuvo pesos mayores en el lomo de centro, lomo vetado, costillar, pulpa paleta, pulpa pierna, pernil y sobras (P≤0,05). La adicion de RAC+AA no afecto la proteina cruda y materia seca del lomo, pero redujo el extracto etereo (P=0,08). No hubo diferencia en la perdida por goteo, y por coccion, ni en pH, pero la fuerza de corte tendio (P=0,092) a ser mayor en RAC+AA. No hubo diferencias en L * y b * pero si en a *, siendo mas bajo en RAC+AA. El angulo Hue y Chroma no difirieron. El intervalo de confianza al 90% determino que los residuos en musculo e higado fueron de -2,7 a 3,4 mg kg -1 y -6,7 a 10,6 mg kg -1 , respectivamente. La inclusion de RAC+AA en la dieta de cerdos de engorda, produjo canales y cortes comerciales mas pesados, con efectos minimos en caracteristicas de la carne y con residuos de RAC bajo el limite del Codex Alimentarius.

We tested the hypothesis that feeding high-tannin sorghum (HTS) to steers would produce beef more resistant to oxidative deterioration. We observed lower thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in Gluteus medius of steers fed HTS before it was displayed (P = 0.028), which could be explained by a reduced response to stress in these animals. While steers finished with corn and corn + HTS had elevated plasma cortisol at the end of the feeding period (P = 0.047 and 0.093, respectively), animals fed HTS and corn + vitamin E did not. However, feeding HTS increased the rate of discoloration and TBARS accumulation after aerobic display of Longissimus lumborum and Gluteus medius. Diet did not affect the activity of oxidation-related enzymes and fatty acid composition of muscle. The accelerated rate of lipid oxidation during display of beef could be partially explained by a numerically lower concentration of tocopherols in the tissue.