Influence of preslaughter transport distance on live weight Shrinkage in broiler birds

Preslaughter handling practices, particularly transport and holding conditions, play a crucial role in determining live weight shrinkage in broiler birds, thereby influencing economic losses along the broiler meat supply chain. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of preslaughter transport distance on shrinkage loss in live broiler chickens and to assess hourly live weight loss during holding at retail broiler meat shops. Market age broiler birds were transported over three distance categories, namely less than 50 km, 50-100 km, and more than 100 km, under routine commercial conditions. Live body weights were recorded before loading and immediately after unloading to determine shrinkage loss due to transport. Additionally, hourly live bird weight loss was recorded during holding at retail shops from 4:00 am to 10:00 am. Results indicated that preslaughter transport distance significantly influenced shrinkage loss (p≤0.05). Birds transported over less than 50 km exhibited significantly lower shrinkage loss (1.13±0.12%) compared to those transported over 50-100 km (1.89±0.12%) and more than 100 km (1.88±0.08%). However, shrinkage loss did not differ significantly between the two longer transport distances. During holding at retail broiler meat shops, live bird weight loss showed a gradual numerical decline over time; however, differences among holding hours were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The findings demonstrate that preslaughter transport distance is a critical factor contributing to live weight shrinkage in broiler birds, while short-term holding under retail conditions exerts a limited influence on hourly live bird weight loss. These results highlight the importance of optimizing preslaughter transport practices to minimize shrinkage losses in the broiler meat supply chain.