J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

J. Anim Sci. 2007. 85:2746-2752. doi:10.2527/jas.2007-0173
© 2007 American Society of Animal Science
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
jas.2007-0173v1
85/10/2746    most recent
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gosálvez, L. F.
Right arrow Articles by Babot, D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Gosálvez, L. F.
Right arrow Articles by Babot, D.

ANIMAL PRODUCTION

Traceability of extensively produced Iberian pigs using visual and electronic identification devices from farm to slaughter1

L. F. Gosálvez*,2, C. Santamarina*, X. Averós*, M. Hernández-Jover{dagger}, G. Caja{dagger} and D. Babot*,{ddagger}

* Departament de Producció Animal, Universitat de Lleida. Avda. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain; and {dagger} Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Edifici V, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain; and and {ddagger} Área de Producció Animal, Centre UdL-IRTA, Avda. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain

2 Corresponding author: lfgosalvez{at}prodan.udl.es

A total of 351 Iberian pigs with equal numbers of both sexes from 2 commercial farms were used to study the ability of various identification devices to guarantee the traceability required for labeled meat products from Iberian pigs reared under extensive production conditions in Spain. The performance of tattoos, visual ear tags, electronic ear tags, and i.p.-injected transponders of half duplex and full duplex technologies were compared during a production cycle from nursery to slaughter at 15 mo of age (156 ± 3 kg of BW). No major health reactions to any of the identification methods were detected. Results showed that tattooing was not an adequate identification procedure due to reading difficulties as a consequence of dark skin, soiled appearance, and figure deformation. Ear tag losses and failures were affected by fencing type and increased in one of the farms (20.4 and 15.7% for losses and failures, respectively; P < 0.05) as a consequence of using barbed-wire fences. Ear tag losses decreased when fences changed to stone blocks at 365 d of age. Visual and electronic ear tag losses during transport and slaughter were low (3.7% for visual and 3.1% for electronic tag). Results of injectable transponders during the growing-fattening period were variable and were more readable for the half duplex than for the full duplex i.p. transponders (92.0 vs. 68.7% ± 1.5; P < 0.05). Handheld transceivers worked properly under extensive conditions, although the body size and skin characteristics of the Iberian breed might limit the performance of reading devices, and the use of transceivers with longer reading distances is recommended. The main problem observed with i.p. transponders was their low recovery rate at slaughter due to the lack of adherence of the transponders to the omentum.

Key Words: ear tag • electronic identification • extensive production • Iberian pig • intraperitoneal transponder • traceability






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the American Society of Animal Science.