Driving Pigs to Stunning

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Course content - Driving Pigs to Stunning
3. Completion
   1. Comments
   2. Self test
   3. Key messages
   4. Further reading
   5. Evaluation

Self test

1

Which is the most critical factor concerning physical conditions when driving pigs to stunning? Click the right answer a) Temperature b) Facility design c) Mixing Correct! Facility design is the most important physical factor when driving pigs to stunning!Incorrect! Temperature and mixing are important factors during lairage but less important when driving pigs to stunning.Your answer has been saved.

2	Which is the most critical factor concerning handling conditions when driving pigs to stunning? Click the right answer a) Stockperson performance b) Stocking density c) Use of straw Correct!This is not correct. Try again!Your answer has been saved.

3

What are the consequences of bad handling when driving pigs to stunning? Select three options, then click "Check your answer" a) PSE and bruising b) Fear and pain c) Dirty and dead pigs d) Dominance aggression and DFD a) Correct! PSE and bruising are meat quality problems that can arise as a consequence of stressful driving to stunning!a) Incorrect! PSE and bruising can be the result of bad handling.b) Correct! Fear and pain are mechanisms that induce stress and result in animal welfare problems.b) Incorrect! Driving to stunning induces fear and pain (especially when electric prodding is used)c) Correct! Pre-slaughter stress results in increased excretion of faeces, dirty animals and higher risk of contamination. An extreme result of stress is death.c) Incorrect! Dirty and dead animals can be the result of bad handling when driving to stunning.d) Correct! Driving to stunning does not result in dominance aggression and DFD. Mixing of animals during lairage will cause aggression and depletion of energy reserves can result in DFD.d) Incorrect! Dominance aggression and DFD are common consequences of bad lairage conditions.

4

What are the characteristics of the sensory capacity of pigs? Select three options, then click "Check your answer". a) Pigs have better hearing at high frequencies than humans. b) Pigs have poor short-range vision. c) Pigs see better than humans. d) Pigs have a good sense of smell but the smell of blood is not aversive. e) Pigs do not have a good sense of smell. a) Correct! That's why high noise levels of HPV are stressful to pigs.a) Incorrect! Please try again.b) Correct! They have poor short-range vision, and that's why they need time to investigate the ground.b) Incorrect! Please try again.c) Correct! They have poor short-range vision, and that's why they need time to investigate the ground.c) Incorrect! Please try againd) Correct! But the snout is also important for rooting. d) Incorrect! Please try again.e) Correct! They have a good sense of smell, but this sensory capacity is not very well investigated.e) Incorrect! Yes they do, but this sensory capacity is not very well investigated.

5

How can PSE meat be identified? Click the right answer. a) By measuring pH at 24 hours post-mortem. b) By measuring pH at 45 minutes post-mortem. c) We can't predict PSE meat by measuring pH post-mortem. Correct! After a long period post-slaughter the pH in PSE meat will be close to pH in normal meat.Incorrect! Go back to "Consequences of bad pre-slaughter handling" and have a look at the figure showing the post-mortem pH decline.Your answer has been saved.

6

How can DFD meat be identified? Click the right answer. a) By measuring pH during the first hour post-mortem. b) We can't predict DFD meat by measuring pH post-mortem. c) By measuring pH 24 hours post-mortem. Correct! In DFD meat pH needs to be measured 30 hours after slaughter because it will be close to pH in normal meat if the measurements are done too early.Incorrect! Go back to "Consequences of bad pre-slaughter handling" and have a look at the figure showing the post-mortem pH decline.Your answer has been saved.