Effect of source and lairage on some behavioural and biochemical measurements of feed restriction and dehydration in cattle at a slaughterhouse

Pre-slaughter management of cattle includes assembly on the farm, transport, slaughterhouse lairage and handling. Cattle sold at livestock markets experience additional periods of food and water restriction, handling and transport compared with cattle sent directly from farms to slaughter. Scan samples of the postural, eating and drinking behaviours of 92 groups of cattle, and focal samples of the eating and drinking behaviour of 378 individuals, were made during the initial 3 h in a commercial slaughterhouse lairage. Cattle from markets spent more time drinking than cattle direct from farms (median 1 vs 0% of time, P < 0.01) and also lay down more during the first hour, During the 3 h, market cattle drank more often (median 4 vs 1 bouts, P < 0.05) and for longer (median 32 vs 7 s, P < 0.05) than farm cattle. Farm cattle transported over 80 miles spent more time lying down during the 3 h (median 6 vs 0%, P < 0.05), and more time drinking during the first hour (1 vs 0%, P < 0.05) than farm cattle transported up to 80 miles, Cattle transported over 40 miles from markets tended to drink sooner, and for longer, than those transported up to 40 miles, Blood samples were also collected at exsanguination from the focal animals. Marker cattle had significantly greater plasma free fatty acid concentrations (FFA) (mean 0.38 vs 0.27 mmol l(-1), P < 0.001) and showed a trend for greater packed cell volumes (mean 46 vs 44%, P = 0.07) than farm cattle, There was also a significant effect of overnight lairage compared with slaughter on the day of arrival on the plasma concentration of FFA (mean 0.38 vs 0.27 mmol l(-1), P < 0.001). There was a trend for plasma total protein concentration to be greater in cattle held overnight than in those slaughtered on the day of arrival (mean 81 vs 77 l(-1), P = 0.09). Cattle transported over 80 miles from farms had greater plasma FFA concentrations (median 0,33 mmol l(-1)) than those transported 41-80 miles (median 0.25 mmol l(-1))or up to 40 miles (median 0.20 mmol l(-1), P < 0.05). The results indicated that cattle sold through markets were more thirsty and tired on arrival at the lairage than cattle sent direct from farms. Market cattle showed some evidence of being more feed restricted than farm cattle, and this effect was not reversed after overnight lairage.