APPRAISAL OF SUIT ABILITY OF SHEEP CARCASS IN A COMMERCIAL SLAUGHTER HOUSE

Abstract

The study identified the common causes of organs and whole carcass condemnation of slaughtered sheep in a commercial abattoir in Bangladesh. A total number of 8046 sheep were slaughtered during the period from July 2007 to June 2008. Animals were undertaken into three ante-mortem inspections from arrival to slaughter. The first inspection was done immediately after unloading of animal, second during resting of the animals and the last inspection was performed before slaughtering of the animals. A total number of 703 organs from carcasses were condemned due to several reasons. The liver (42%) and lungs (39.1) were the most condemned organs in sheep. Fascioliasis was the leading cause of liver condemnation in sheep (86.8%). Pneumonia was the main cause of lung condemnations at the rate of 54.5% in sheep. Hydatidiosis caused both liver (6.4%) and lungs (40%) condemnation in sheep. Abscess was also responsible for organ condemnation affecting liver (6.8%), lungs (5.5%) and kidney (30.8%) in sheep. The major cause of muscles condemnation of sheep were due to cystocercosis (75.0%) and grass seed poisoning especially sorghum poisoning (25.0%).Grass seed poisoning was the only cause that was responsible for three sheep carcass whole condemnation. The results of the present study concluded that liver and lungs were the mostly affected organs to be condemned caused by mainly fascioliasis and pneumonia in sheep and grass seed poisoning was the single cause for whole carcass condemnation in sheep