NEW research has found shortening the period of time between arrival at an abattoir and slaughter (lairage) can increase yields and profitability for grainfed cattle.
For Australian feedlot cattle, lairage duration is highly variable and can range between 2–36 hours, but more commonly ranges between 12–
Dr Melissa George
24 hours, and typically involves an overnight stay. Short-duration-lairage of between three to four hours resulted in positive impacts on hot standard carcase weight (HSCW), hydration status and liver glycogen with no negative outcomes to meat quality and food safety…
