Prevalence of foetal wastage in Jalingo abattoir: a retrospective study

Abstract

Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant animals in the abattoir often results to wastage of foetuses. This study investigated the prevalence of foetal wastage in Jalingo abattoir. The study is an eleven years’ retrospective study (2012 - 2022). The data for the study were obtained from the abattoir records for the study period. The study examined the number of cows slaughtered and the number of foetuses wasted in the abattoir as well as the seasonal variation in the prevalence of foetal wastage. Out of the total of 163,647 cattle slaughtered in the abattoir, 141,607 (86.5%) were cows. A total of 17,220 (12.2%) foetuses were wasted within the study period. About 6.4% of foetal wastages occurred in the dry season and 5.8% occurred in the rainy season. The study also found out that for every 8 cows slaughtered in the abattoir 1 foetus is wasted. It is recommended that pregnancy examination of cows should be carried out by experts such as veterinarians before slaughter and that farmers should use alternative means of feeding their animals such as hay as against the traditional grazing which often result to selling off even pregnant animals when there is scarcity of feed which has effect on cattle population in the study area.