Resumo:
Pre-slaughter handling is a critical factor affecting animal welfare, carcass quality, and economic performance in beef production systems. This study evaluated the impact of a novel low-stress protocol, Hands-Free Handling (HFH), compared to Conventional Handling (CON), on operational efficiency, carcass bruising, and financial losses in feedlot cattle. A total of 715 Nellore heifers were randomly allocated to the two handling treatments. Loading time, incidence and anatomical location of carcass injuries, amount of meat discarded due to bruises and carcass pH were evaluated. Data were analyzed using generalized linear models. HFH significantly reduced loading time by 43%, the incidence of bruising by 7.6%, and meat discard by 61.7% (P < 0.05), without affecting carcass yield or pH. Despite improvements, injuries remained a major source of financial loss. Economic modeling based on lesion discard data demonstrated that financial losses per carcass ranged from R$ 2.40 to R$ 2.83 for conventional handling (CON), and from R$ 1.48 to R$ 1.75 for Hands-Free Handling (HFH). Extrapolating to a slaughterhouse processing 1,200 head per day, the estimated annual loss was R$ 978,781.05 for CON and R$ 604,116.36 for HFH, indicating a potential 38% reduction in economic losses when adopting rational handling practices. The results highlight the relevance of rational handling strategies to improve animal welfare, reduce economic losses, and meet societal and market expectations for humane livestock practices.
