Principais causas de condenação de carcaças de galinhas poedeiras de descarte em abatedouro-frigorífico

The Brazilian poultry sector is widely recognized for its production of chicken meat and eggs. However, the meat of laying hens, at the end of their productive cycle, is often treated as a byproduct. This scenario is evident in the limited presence of hen meat in the Brazilian market, where its use is restricted and rarely valued. This study investigated the main morphological alterations that led to the condemnation of laying hen carcasses at the end of their productive life in a municipal slaughterhouse supervised by the Municipal Inspection Service (S.I.M) of Minas Gerais. A qualitative and quantitative documentary analysis was conducted using data provided by the Municipality of Divinópolis/MG. The study analyzed the incidence of anatopathological alterations in 805,758 laying hen carcasses, out of a total of 1,300,374 birds slaughtered, over 620 days between 2021 and 2023. According to the results, 90,493 hens (11.23%) were condemned, of which 60,531 (7.51%) underwent partial condemnation and 29,962 (3.71%) were totally condemned. The main causes of total condemnation were septicemia, airsacculitis, and ascitic syndrome. Partial condemnations were associated with contamination by gastrointestinal or bile contents, airsacculitis, contusions, and fractures. The results of this study highlight the need to improve handling, slaughter, and transport practices for birds to minimize physical stress, contusions, and carcass condemnations. Moreover, they emphasize the importance of greater investment in research specifically focused on the slaughter of laying hens. Such an emphasis could not only drive improvements in the poultry sector but also enhance the value of a product that, while currently marginalized, has the potential to benefit the industry, producers, and end consumers alike.