Caracterização do transporte de bovinos para o abate em Uberlândia-MG

Abstract

Animal transport is considered the most critical stage between the steps that involve pre-slaughter management. Several factors influence the road transport of beef cattle, causing effects that affect animal welfare and the final carcasses quality. Therefore, the present paper aimed to characterize the road transport slaughtered cattle process at a slaughterhouse located in Uberlândia-MG. To carry out the work was accompanied by the road transport process of four trucks, during ten trips. The evaluations had been realized based on some indicators of animal welfare inherent in the road transport (conditions and vehicle conservation, number of animals loaded, and distance between the farm and slaughterhouse), the driver (age, period experience, special training), the rural property (installation and management conditions, and animals race). Of the 502 accompanied animals, 90% were females. Management failures had been constant totalizing 80% of the properties evaluate problems on the installations, already problems in the installations reached 60% of the properties and the bad quality of the shipper was the main reason to take animals to falls in the shipment. Longer journeys led animals to falls being the longest distance traveled was 214 km and the smaller was 31 km, exercising densities of 240 kg/m2 to 377 kg/m2. Although the transportation process seem simple, there were several faults in the property, boarding and transportation itself until arrival at the slaughterhouse. Problems that if not respected can lead to animal stress and economic losses.