摘要:
Four designs of modular turkey transport systems available in the Uk (A, B, C, and D) were compared for carcass damage and heart rate during loading in a pilot trial. Systems A, B, and C all required turkeys to be manually loaded. System D was loaded by driving turkeys into it. Systems A, B, and C, compared in a balanced experimental design, had similar levels of fractures and bruising combined but variation in the types of damage. Birds from System D, which was examined outside the balanced design, showed much less damage than those from the other systems. Heart rate was lower for birds loaded into System D than for birds in the other systems, which all showed a similar high heart rate associated with loading. This pilot trial indicates that the adoption of System D could yield significant improvement to carcass condition and turkey welfare.