ABSTRACT
To determine the influences of season, distance and multiple-farm loads on pigs transported to slaughter under Spanish commercial conditions, 496 journeys, involving 90,366 pigs, were analysed. Mortality, liveweight loss, transport yield, killing out percentage, carcass yield after overnight chilling and percentage of condemned and trimmed carcasses were recorded. Season significantly affected killing out percentage and trimmed carcasses, with the lowest values found in autumn and summer, respectively. Distance significantly affected liveweight loss and transport yield. Loads composed of pigs from a number of farms had more deaths and carcass problems. It can be concluded that, under Spanish climatic conditions, if journey planning and handling at loading are adequately performed, season and distance do not impair the welfare of slaughter pigs. On the other hand, loading at a number of farms, alone, or interacting with distance, can compromise pig welfare.
ABSTRACT
A total of 35 ejaculates were studied in order to assess the suitability of porcine semen for freezing according to the ejaculate characteristics. The effects of the freezing procedure were identified; a decrease in motility and acrosome quality was found after thawing. The best results on motility were linked to the ejaculates with a volume of less than 100 ml of the sperm-rich fraction, a concentration lower than 450 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml and an agglutination score below 2. However, the best normal apical ridge (NAR) was found when the volume of the sperm-rich fraction was greater than 150 ml. For this reason, an intermediate volume of the sperm-rich fraction of the ejaculate for the best motility and the best NAR, a concentration lower than 450 x 106 spermatozoa/ml and a rate of agglutination below 2 should provide the best quality after freezing. This study also attempted to determine whether a positive effect of ejaculate selection on the overall freezing performance might be expected.