Effects of Various Factors, Including Management Type at the Slaughterhouse, on the Presence of Dark Cutting in Cattle: A Study in Turkey

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of various factors, especially the management type applied to cattle in the slaughterhouse, on meat pH_24h and the presence of dark cutting. Data from 583 cattle of the Holstein and Simmental breeds were evaluated. Cattle were divided into four management types according to whether they were tethered or nontethered in the unloading, lairage, and slaughter corridor. Mean pH_24h was 5.60, and the dark-cutting percentage was 13.20%. The effect of management type on the presence of dark cutting was significant (p = 0.047). The mean pH_24h value was higher in cattle from the nontethered management group (G-I, 5.642) than in cattle from the tethered group (G-II, 5.579). The presence of dark cutting was 2.519 times higher in the G-I cattle than in the cattle in Group IV (tethered during unloading and at the lairage and nontethered at the slaughter corridor). The effects of season, sex, season × sex, season × management type, sex × management type, age, trackload density, and carcass weight on pH_24h were significant. In conclusion, the tethered management type may contribute to reducing the presence of dark cutting in slaughterhouses that were established without considering animal behaviors and ease of cattle handling.