Transport of pigs by car for two days; some aspects of watering and loading density

A long-distance international transport of live pigs was simulated by transporting 216 pigs (± 100 kg live weight) around through The Netherlands for two days; 100 control pigs were slaughtered at start. The experimental pigs were allocated to groups with and without access to water and three different loading densities (0.66, 0.44 and 0.33 m² per pig) during the transport. The watered pigs used 5.4 ] per pig during the 44 h of transport, part of which was wasted by leaning on the bite waternipples. Hence, water consumption was very low. In the high density compartments not all pigs could lie down at the same time, involving continuous alternation of lying down and standing up. During the two days the weather was warm (on average 22°C).After transport pigs had lost 8 kg live weight, half of which was lost carcass weight. The latter was mainly due to water loss, as illustrated by the increased fat/water ratio in the backfat (5.3 versus 4.1 in controls). It should be noted that the weight loss was a little higher in the watered groups than in the non-watered ones.Physiological parameters determined after slaughter in blood and urine did not indicate physiological imbalance due to non-watering or high loading density. These factors had no significant effect on meat quality parameters, except for higher pH₁ and pH₂ values in the high loading density group, indicating that these animals had got more fatigued. The experiment has shown that watering during transport by means of bite nipples is ineffective. It is suggested that loading densities should not exceed 235 kg body weight m^?2 (0.44 m² per pig of 100 kg) for reasons of animal welfare and meat quality.