J. Anim Sci.
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J. Anim Sci. 1964. 23:661-664.
© 1964 American Society of Animal Science
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Some Indications of Physiological Stress in Lambs Subjected to Various Preslaughter Treatments

G. P. Lynch, F. J. Fulmine and R. L. Hiner1,2,

United States Department of Agriculture

Abstract

Twenty-four market lambs were assigned to three preslaughter treatments in order to evaluate the physiological stresses inflicted upon the animal previous to and during the slaughter procedure. The treatments consisted of captive bolt stunning, electrical stunning and no preslaughter stunning. Serum samples were analyzed for total protein, the serum proteins separated by paper electrophoresis, and evidence of the appearance of heme pigments in the serum was measured colorimetrically. The sodium and potassium content of plasma was determined by flame photometry. Results showed that the serum heme pigment content was not increased significantly by the preslaughter stunning of sheep. Either the captive bolt or the electrical stunning method produced a highly significant increase in plasma potassium values. The plasma sodium values of the experimental animals failed to change in an explainable manner. Small but non-significant decreases were shown for total serum protein and the albumin: globulin ratio with the preslaughter stunning of sheep.

Footnotes

1 Meat Quality Laboratory, Animal Husbandry Research Division, ARS, Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, Maryland.

2 The authors express appreciation to J. W. Thornton for assistance in the statistical analysis of this work.






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Copyright © 1964 by the American Society of Animal Science.