Unusual situations, such as loading onto a trailer, cause stress in the animal, which causes the hormone adrenaline to be released. Both animal welfare and ultimately meat quality suffer as a result.

“Initiative for stress-free farm slaughter”

For this reason, the “Initiative for Stress-Free Farm Slaughter” association from the Deutschlandsberg district has developed a mobile slaughter trailer that can be transported using a car hitch and offers the opportunity to anesthetize the animal in a familiar environment and bleed it on the trailer.

The collaboration with the HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein gives the association the opportunity to examine the stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol in the blood during the slaughter of 15 cattle and to assess the meat quality of the carcasses.

More detailed information from the “Initiative for Stress-Free Farm Slaughter” association can be found at: www.stressfrei.st