Abstract :
This study aimed to verify the influence of the transport in open or closed compartments
(0 h), followed by two resting periods (1 and 3 h) for the slaughter process on the levels of
cortisol as a indicative of stress level. At the slaughterhouse, blood samples were taken from
86 lambs after the transport and before slaughter for plasma cortisol analysis. The method
of transport influenced in the cortisol concentration (0 h; P < 0.01). The animals transported
in the closed compartment had a lower level (28.97 ng ml−1) than the animals transported
in the open compartment (35.49 ng ml−1). After the resting period in the slaughterhouse,
there was a decline in the plasmatic cortisol concentration, with the animals subjected to
3 h of rest presenting the lower average cortisol value (24.14 ng ml−1; P < 0.05) than animals
subjected to 1 h of rest (29.95 ng ml−1). It can be inferred that the lambs that remained 3 h in
standby before slaughter had more time to recover from the stress of the transportation than
those that waited just 1 h. Visual access to the external environment during the transport
of the lambs is a stressful factor changing the level of plasmatic cortisol, and the resting
period before slaughter was effective in lowering stress, reducing the plasmatic cortisol in
the lambs.
