Animal welfare at the abattoir and food chain information

Question 1

Which animals should never been sent to the abattoir?

What should you do if you find these?

Answer 1

• Animals that cannot move independently (i.e. too lame)
  
  • Cannot bear weight on all 4 legs
• Animals with severe open wounds or prolapses
• Pregnant or gave birth within 7 days
• Newborn mammals with navel not completely healed
• Pigs of less than 3 weeks
• Lambs of less than 1 week
• Calves of less than 10 days if the journey is over 100km
• Animals under 7 days old
• Medicated animals for which the withdrawal period has not been complied with.

Contact the LA for transport regulations/APHA if the problem starts on farm.

Question 2

Cows arrive at the abattoir with what information?

Answer 2

Passports

Question 3

Sheep arrive at the abattoir with what?

Answer 3

Ear tags

Question 4

What are the responsibilities of management/FBO?

Answer 4

• Skilled and knowledgeable stockmen: Animal Welfare Officer (AWO)
• Have caring and responsible planning and management
• Appropriate environment design
• Consider the handling and transport
• Use humane slaughter methods
• Check paperwork and make FCI available to the OV

Question 5

Benefits of good management around the time of slaughter

Answer 5

✅ Reduction of post-mortem rejections: reduction of bruising

✅ Improved meat quality

✅ Efficiency: good design means animals move through the system with little/no encouragement

✅ Less stress → less defecation → less contamination

Question 6

What is the FCI and what is it needed for?

Answer 6

• Food chain information
• Valuable source of information for decision-making in relation to animal health and welfare
• It is needed for every animal intended for human consumption
• It is a simple form covering at minimum: the animal and holding health status, details of meds and withdrawal periods, relevant product data, diseases and analysis

Question 7

True/false: every animal that arrives at the abattoir must have FCI.

Answer 7

True

Question 8

How far in advance should the FCI for poultry arrive at the abattoir?

Answer 8

72 hrs

Question 9

How far in advance should the FCI for pigs arrive at the abattoir?

Answer 9

24 hrs

Question 10

How far in advance should the FCI for cattle and sheep?

Answer 10

FCI arrives with the animals

Question 11

True/false: if there is no FCI, the animals cannot be slaughtered.

Answer 11

False

They cannot enter the food chain, but they can be slaughtered for welfare reasons.

Question 12

What piece of information does the FCI contain for pigs and poultry that it does not contain for cattle and sheep?

Answer 12

Several, but namely details of the private vet

Question 13

When should the OV check the FCI:

• Before slaughter
• After slaughter
• Never - can be checked by MHIs

Answer 13

Before slaughter

Question 14

The FCI is required for farmed game animals. What is it called if the animal is killed on-farm?

Answer 14

Health Certificate

Question 15

True/false: FCI is not required for wild game animals.

Answer 15

True.

But you do need the Hunter’s declaration/trained person declaration in large wild game

In small wild game, Hunter’s declaration is recommended but not required.

Question 16

Which livestock systems tend to be more intensive and vertically integrated?

Answer 16

Pigs and poultry

Cattle, sheep and goats are more traditional

Question 17

When should cleaning and disinfection of the livestock vehicles occur? Whose responsibility is this and who verifies compliance? Who do you report breaches to?

Answer 17

• After unloading the animals
• Before new animals are loaded
• Inside or outside the abattoir
• Farmer and FBO responsibility
• FSA (MHI/OV) verifies FBO compliance
• Breaches reported to the local authority
• There should be spot checks