Evaluation of post-slaughter exsanguination of selected breeds of pigs

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the course and rate of post-slaughter exsanguination of selected breeds of pigs used in Poland. The material comprised 36 fatteners of the Polish Landrace, 30 of the Polish Yorkshire, 30 of the Pietrain and 30 of the Duroc breeds of pigs. The study showed that the analyzed breeds differed in the weight of slaughter blood. The highest weight of blood was obtained from the Duroc breed, while the smallest from the Yorkshire pigs. The influence of breed on the amount of blood obtained in the 1st and 2nd minute was observed. It was also stated that the Yorkshire fatteners had a statistically significantly lower weight of the heart, lungs, spleen and kidneys, whereas the highest weight of these organs was observed for the Duroc fatteners. The study showed that the meat of the breeds differed in the intensity of colour. In the muscles of all the breeds, the presence of blood splash fault was observed, with the highest intensity in the Landrace and Pietrain fatteners. It was observed that in all analyzed breeds slaughter exsanguination caused a significant increase in the concentration of glucose, cortisol and lactic acid in the blood. The highest dynamics of these parameters was stated for the Pietrain and Landrace fatteners. The obtained results indicate important differences in the parameters of exsanguination between the examined breeds.