Using sensors to detect individual responses of lambs during transport and preslaughter handling and their relationship with meat quality

The rapid analysis of animal welfare becomes more necessary in monitoring the quality of the supply chain to make appropriate choices for their management for optical welfare. Furthermore, there is an increasing interest in an assessment of the state of well-being in each individual animal. This study looked at transport and pre-slaughter management on meat quality evaluated in two types of farming systems in two breeds (Biellese and Sambucana lambs). It used Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) technologies including accelerometer and rumination activity ear tag sensors as potential indicators of welfare status during the transportation and pre-slaughter period. There were significant correlations between sensors parameters, such as total activity and rumination and physical and chemical meat quality characteristics such as drip loss. The study that lambs which has lower rumination and/or lower total activity had lower drip loss indicating lower meat quality. It appears that such sensors may be useful for detecting animals which are sensitive to stressors during transport and pre slaughter handling. Monitoring with such sensors may allow measurement of impact of transport and handling at abattoirs in real time allow customized strategies for better management of the animal.