Gentle handling in well-designed facilities will minimize stress levels, improve efficiency and maintain good meat quality. Rough handling or poorly designed equipment is detrimental to both animal welfare and meat quality. Progressive slaughter plant managers recognize the importance of good handling practices. Constant management supervision is required to maintain high humane standards.

Every extra handling procedure causes increased stress and bruising. Elimination of unnecessary procedures at the slaughter plant will also reduce stress.

Reducing Fatigue and Non-Ambulatory Pigs in Slaughter Plants to Improve Welfare

Electric Prodding or Jamming of Pigs During Pre-Slaughter Handling Increases Stress and Raises Lactate Levels

Preventing Pale Soft Exudative Pork (PSE) in Pigs

Preventing Dark Cutters (DFD) in Cattle

Stressful Pre-Slaughter Handling

Guidelines for Livestock Holding Facilities

Factors Contributing to the Incidence of Dark Cutting Beef

Solving Handling Problems that Cause PSE and Dark Cutters

Review of the Effects of Pre-Slaughter Handling and Stunning on Meat Quality

There have been numerous research studies on stunning methods, but until recently, stress and discomfort during a lairage and movement of the animals to the stunning point was neglected. How to reduce slaughter stress on:

Cattle

Pigs

Sheep

Feedlot cattle with excitable temperaments have tougher meat and a higher incidence of dark colored lean.
Journal of Animal Science, (1997) volume 75: 892-896

Bos Indicus-Cross feedlot cattle with excitable temperaments have tougher meat and a higher incidence of borderline dark cutters (1997) Meat Science, Volume 46:4, 367-377

Bruise levels on fed and non-fed cattle.
Proceedings Livestock Conservation Institute (1995) pages 193-201
1910 Lyda Drive Bowling Green, Kentucky 42104 USA

Methods to reduce PSE and bloodsplash
Allen D. Leman Swine Conference Volume 21 (1994) pages 206-209
College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota

"Bruises on southwestern feedlot cattle"
Journal of Animal Science,volume 53 Supplement 1 (1981) page 213.

For more information, check out Meat and Poultry's website.

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