The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of two different pasture-based finishing strategies and lairage time on steers welfare in Uruguayan conditions. Sixty Hereford (H) and Braford (B) steers were assigned to two different diets for finishing purposes: (D1) native pasture plus corn grain (1% of live weight) (H n = 15, B n = 15) and (D2) high-quality pasture (H n = 15, B n = 15). The average daily gain was registered every 14 days, and temperaments were individually assessed one week before slaughter by three individual tests: crush score, flight time and exit speed, building a multicriterial temperament index (TIndex). Animals were slaughtered the same day in two groups (50% from D1 and 50% from D2 in each group) after traveling for 3.5 h and staying 15 (long lairage) and 3 h (short lairage) in the lairage pens, respectively. The behaviors were observed during lairage, and physiological indicators were used to assess stress at the farm after transport, after lairage and at slaughter. Bruises incidence and final pH were registered at the abattoir as a means of assessing the overall animal welfare. Calmer animals had higher average daily gains with no differences either between diets or between breeds. Calmer animals also had a lower stress response during all preslaughter stages, regardless of the time in lairage. Transport did not imply psychological stress (cortisol) for any slaughter group, but physical stress was evident after transport in both groups through NEFA and CPK increases. Bruise incidences did not differ between lairage groups. The short lairage group did not have enough time to cope with the environment before slaughter, with the consequent deleterious effects on the carcass pH. Animals from the long lairage group had a higher metabolic response shown through NEFA values, but they had enough time to rest and recover overnight, reaching final pH values lower than 5.8, considered the upper limit of the normal range. According to this experiment, with pasture-based animals without fasting on the farm and after 3.5 h of transportation, a resting period of 15 h in lairage should be better than a 3-h one.

中文翻译：

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饮食和产蛋时间对乌拉圭Ste牛福利的影响

该实验的目的是评估两种不同的基于牧场的育肥策略和饲养时间对乌拉圭条件下的ers牛福利的影响。为完成育肥目的，将六十头赫里福德（H）和布拉福德（B）ers牛皮分配给两种不同的日粮：（D1）天然牧场加玉米籽粒（占活重的1％）（H n = 15，B n = 15）和（D2 ）高质量牧场（H n = 15，B n= 15）。每14天记录一次平均日增重，在屠宰前一个星期通过三个单独的测试对气质进行单独评估：挤压分数，飞行时间和出口速度，建立多标准气质指数（TIndex）。在行进3.5 h并在圈养圈中分别停留15（长圈圈）和3 h（短圈圈）后，在同一天将动物分成两组（每组中D1的50％和D2的50％）进行宰杀。在驯养期间观察其行为，并使用生理指标评估运输后，驯养后和屠宰后农场的压力。在屠宰场记录挫伤的发生率和最终的pH值，作为评估总体动物福利的一种手段。卡尔默动物的平均日增重较高，饮食之间或品种之间均无差异。无论宰杀时间长短，卡尔默动物在所有宰杀前阶段的应激反应都较低。运输没有暗示任何屠宰组的心理压力（皮质醇），但是两组通过NEFA和CPK的运输均增加了身体压力。不同种族之间的瘀伤发生率没有差异。短暂的驯养组在宰杀之前没有足够的时间来应对环境，因此对the体pH造成有害影响。通过NEFA值可知，长期饲养的动物具有更高的代谢反应，但它们有足够的时间休息和恢复过夜，最终的pH值低于5.8，被认为是正常范围的上限。根据此实验，在牧场上和禁食后不禁食的以牧场为基础的动物中。