Understanding the animal’s perception and evaluation of its environment to reduce stress at slaughter: Examples for cattle

L’abattage démarre dès la préparation de l’animal en élevage pour le départ à l’abattoir et s’achève avec la mort de l’animal. C’est une période complexe : au cours des différentes étapes de l’abattage, des sources de stress d’origine physique, émotionnelle, sociale et cognitive interviennent. Alors que celles d’origine physique sont bien connues, les autres le sont moins. Elles ont pourtant un impact significatif sur l’état de stress des bovins. En effet, les perturbations sociales, l’exposition à des événements nouveaux et/ou soudains, les manipulations par l’homme ainsi que l’environnement visuel, sonore et olfactif sont autant de facteurs potentiellement stressants qui s’ajoutent et interagissent avec les contraintes physiques. Un certain nombre de conseils pratiques relatifs aux équipements et à la gestion des bovins permettent de limiter ces sources de stress. Associés à des observations du comportement des animaux au cours des différentes procédures de la période d’abattage, ils peuvent permettre de réduire considérablement le stress des bovins.The slaughter period starts with the preparation of the animal for transport to the abattoir and ends with the death of the animal. It is a complex period, and the different stages may present different causes of stress which may be of physical and emotional, cognitive and social origin. The latter categories are less well described although they have a significant impact on the stress status of cattle at slaughter. Social disturbances, exposure to novel or sudden events, handling by humans and the visual, olfactory and audible context may all be causes of stress, in interaction with the physical constraints. We propose several practical recommendations relative the equipment used and the management of the animals to reduce causes of stress. If behavioural observations at the different slaughter stages indicate difficulties, these recommendations may help to reduce considerably the stress of the cattle at slaughter

Classification of pig calls produced from birth to slaughter according to their emotional valence and context of production

Vocal expression of emotions has been observed across species and could provide a non-invasive and reliable means to assess animal emotions. We investigated if pig vocal indicators of emotions revealed in previous studies are valid across call types and contexts, and could potentially be used to develop an automated emotion monitoring tool. We performed an analysis of an extensive and unique dataset of low (LF) and high frequency (HF) calls emitted by pigs across numerous commercial contexts from birth to slaughter (7414 calls from 411 pigs). Our results revealed that the valence attributed to the contexts of production (positive versus negative) affected all investigated parameters in both LF and HF. Similarly, the context category affected all parameters. We then tested two different automated methods for call classification; a neural network revealed much higher classification accuracy compared to a permuted discriminant function analysis (pDFA), both for the valence (neural network: 91.5%; pDFA analysis weighted average across LF and HF (cross-classified): 61.7% with a chance level at 50.5%) and context (neural network: 81.5%; pDFA analysis weighted average across LF and HF (cross-classified): 19.4% with a chance level at 14.3%). These results suggest that an automated recognition system can be developed to monitor pig welfare on-farm.publishedVersio

Cognitive bias as a measure of affective state in sheep.

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Negative emotional state shortens the duration of the chewing sequence

International audienceAlthough the effect of the quality of dental state on the quality of chewing has been studied extensively, almost nothing is known about the repercussions of emotional states on masticatory muscles activity observed during chewing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of positive and negative emotional states on the electromyographic (EMG) activity during food ingestion. With this aim in view, we employed an association of pictures and sounds taken from the international affective picture system (IAPS) and the international affective digitized sound (IADS) system was used. These effects which varied in valence neutral to pleasant or unpleasant were used to investigate masticator muscle activity in 26 young adults exposed to these stimuli during the mastication of cheese. The emotional state was evaluated by recording variations in cardiac rhythm. There were fewer chewing bursts and less muscle activity during unpleasant stimuli compared to pleasant and neutral stimuli, resulting in a shortened chewing sequence

Électronarcose des poulets :comment concilier bien-être animal et qualité des carcasses

National audienceDans le contexte de l’abattage, sauf dérogation, la saignée des animaux est précédée d’une étape d’étourdissement. La technique majoritairement employée en France pour étourdir les poulets est l’immersion dans un bain d’eau électrifiée. Selon les paramètres électriques employés, l’efficacité de cette étape et la prévalence des défauts de présentation des carcasses varient. Cette synthèse des données scientifiques existantes permet d’identifier des combinaisons de paramètres pouvant être optimales à la fois en termes de bien-être animal et de qualité des carcasses. Celles-ci devront toutefois faire l’objet d’expérimentations complémentaires pour être validées et précisées. Afin d’optimiser cette technique d’étourdissement, d’autres obstacles sont à surmonter, notamment la variabilité entre les animaux dans le courant reçu

Les animaux sont-ils plus heureux en élevage extensif ou intensif ?

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Hedonism as a predictor of attitudes of young French women towards meat

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La conscience, l’inconscience et la mort dans le contexte de l’abattage. Partie II. Méthodes d’évaluation

National audienceThis second review describes indicators of consciousness and unconsciousness that can be used in the abattoir. These indicators evaluate different aspects of cerebral functioning, but only indirectly. It is therefore necessary to monitor several indicators. Animals are considered unconscious if signs of consciousness are absent, and signs of unconsciousness are present. Given that the unconscious state is reversible it further necessary to monitor these indicators until the end of bleeding. The techniques used to diagnose brain death in humans cannot be used in the slaughterhouse. Under field conditions, at the end of bleeding, the absence of breathing and of brain stem reflexes and the correctness of the exsanguination are verified. If these three aspects are confirmed, in the context of the slaughterhouse and at this stage of the slaughter process the loss of vital functions is irreversible and the animal can be considered dead.Cette seconde revue présente les principaux indicateurs de conscience et d’inconscience utilisables en abattoir. Ils évaluent différents aspects de l’état de fonctionnement du cerveau, mais seulement indirectement. Par conséquent, il est nécessaire d’en vérifier plusieurs co ncomitamment. On conclut à un état d’inconscience lorsque les signes de conscience sont absents , et ceux d’inconscience sont présents. Etant donné la réversibilité de l’inconscience, les vérifications doivent être poursuivies jusqu’à la fin de la saignée. Les procédures de constat de mort utilisées pour l’humain ne sont pas envisageables dans le contexte de l’abattage. Sur le terrain, pour s’assurer de la mort de l’animal après la saignée, on vérifie qu’il ne respire plus, ne montre pas de réflexes du tronc cérébral et qu’il est saigné correctement. Si ces trois points sont confirmés, à ce stade de l’abattage, la perte des fonctions vitales est irréversible et l’animal peut être considéré comme mort

La conscience, l’inconscience et la mort dans le contexte de l’abattage. Partie I. Mécanismes neurobiologiques impliqués lors de l’étourdissement et de la mise à mort

National audienceThis review (which will be followed by a second article) describes the neurobiological mechanisms that are relevant for the stunning and killing process of animals in the abattoir. The mechanisms underlying the loss of consciousness depend on the technique used: mechanical, electrical or gas stunning. Direct exsanguination (without prior stun) causes also a loss of consciousness before inducing death. The underlying mechanisms may involve cerebral anoxia or ischemia, or the depolarisation, acidification and/or the destruction of brain neurons. These effects may be caused by shock waves, electrical fields, the reduction or arrest of the cerebral blood circulation, increased levels of CO 2 or a lack of O 2 in the air, or the mechanical destruction of neurons. The targeted brain structures are the reticular formation, the ascending reticular activating system or the cerebral hemispheres in a general manner. Some of the techniques, when properly used, induce an immediate lack of consciousness; for others, consciousness is lost progressively.Cette revue (qui sera suivie par un second article) présente les mécanismes neurobiologiques impliqués lors de l’étourdissement et la mise à mort des animaux en abattoir. Lorsqu’un étourdissement précède la saignée, les mécanismes impliqués dans la perte de conscience varient selon les techniques utilisées : étourdissement mécanique, électrique ou gazeux. La saignée directe (sans étourdissement) induit également une perte de conscience avant de provoquer la mort. La perte de conscience peut être liée à différents mécanismes, tels que l’anoxie ou l’ischémie cérébrale ou la dépolarisation, l’acidification et/ou la destruction des neurones. Ces effets peuvent être produits à l’aide d’ondes de choc, de champs électriques, de réduction ou d’arrêt de la circulation sanguine cérébrale, d’une surcharge de CO 2 et/ou d’un manque d’O 2 dans l’air inspiré, ou de la destruction mécanique de neurones. Les structures cérébrales visées sont la formation réticulée, le système réticulo-activateur ascendant ou encore les hémisphères cérébraux de manière globale. Certaines techniques, lorsqu ’elles sont bien utilisées, permettent une perte de conscience immédiate ; pour d’autres, la pert e de conscience est progressive

Young Blond d'Aquitaine, Angus and Limousin bulls differ in emotional reactivity: Relationships with animal traits, stress reactions at slaughter and post-mortem muscle metabolism

International audienceThe present study investigated relationships between reactivity during tests, stress reactions at slaughter and animal traits in young Blond d'Aquitaine (BA), Limousin (LI) and Angus (AN) bulls. Behavioural and physiological reactivity of animals was evaluated during rearing using a "Human test" (exposure to human presence and handling) and an "Umbrella test (exposure to a sudden event, the opening of an umbrella). During both tests, bulls were also subjected to social isolation and novelty. Three weeks after the tests, bulls were slaughtered in an experimental abattoir and stress reactions were evaluated using ante-mortem behavioural and physiological measurements, and indicators of post-mortem muscle (Longissimus dorsi: LD and Semitendinosus: ST) metabolism. Animal traits (morphological measures, basal cortisol level and testosterone level) were also recorded. BA reacted more strongly to the tests than AN, while LI had often intermediate levels. In the Human test, BA and LI spent more time vigilant than AN. In the Umbrella test, BA turned their head backwards more often, were further away from the umbrella and expressed more startle responses than AN. At slaughter, AN showed lower LD pH(3)h and higher LD and ST pH(30h), after bleeding. Regression analyses showed that up to 25.3 and 39.7% of the variability between individuals in early post-mortem ST and LD pH(40min), was explained by differences in heart rate minutes before slaughter, and stress reactions during the reactivity tests, respectively, at least partly removing breed effects. Ultimate pH was more strongly related to physical traits, specifically dressing percentage. Models are in accordance with existing knowledge on the biological relationships between these traits and post-mortem metabolism. Overall, results show that the breeds differed in stress reactions during reactivity tests and in post-mortem pH decline. A considerable part of the breed effects on early post-mortem pH decline was explained by certain stress reactions during the reactivity tests or immediately before slaughter (pH(40min), pH(3h)) and physical traits (pH(3oh))