Adjustment of pre-slaughter fasting for feedlot-finished Nellore cattle

• Grant number: 14/01109-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: January 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Products of Animal Origin Inspection
• Principal Investigator: Roberto de Oliveira Roça
• Grantee: Guilherme Sicca Lopes Sampaio
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project aims to study the most suitable pre-slaughter fasting period for Nellore cattle finished in feedlot and submitted to short-journey transportation considering veterinary hygiene and public health aspects. The project will consist of three slaughter times using 60 bovines randomly divided into three treatments: 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours of pre-slaughter fasting, 20 animals in each slaughter. The selection criteria for the three Bos indicus cattle lots will be: predominantly uncastrated male Nellore bovines presenting up to four permanent teeth, weight range from 480 to 540 kg and from the same feedlot. Variations in the concentration of hygienic-sanitary indicators and pathogens excreted in feces, environmental contamination (transport and lairage) as well as the hygienic and sanitary condition of the skin and the carcass by effect of pre-slaughter feed fasting time will be checked by occurrences and counts of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Escherichia coli, and by the occurrence of Salmonella spp. and E. coli STEC. The data will be submitted to normality tests and homoscedasticity to adapt the analysis of variance and multiple comparison test at 5% probability. Logistic regression model and Goodman test will be used to estimate the isolation chances of enteric pathogens among groups. As a result of this study, technical and scientific subsidy are expected to show the most suitable pre-slaughter feed fasting period for the evaluated production scenario, with the possibility to help the updating of cattle slaughter regulations in Brazil. In addition to enabling greater profitability to the farmer and the industry by reducing the production cost, product quality and rational production will stimulate beef consumption.Keywords: Bos indicus, transport, lairage, cross contamination, Escherichia coli STEC; Salmonella spp. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SAMPAIO, Guilherme Sicca Lopes. Jejum pré-abate de bovinos confinados e as condições higiênico-sanitárias do abate. 2017. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia. Botucatu Botucatu.