Table 1.
Tail scoring system used at the slaughter line.
| Tail score | Definition, scoring system A | Definition, scoring system B | Combined scores used in statistical analyses, based on scoring system B |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intact | The tail is fully intact, and long hairs grow out from the tail tip | The tail is fully intact, the end is rounded and slightly flattened | Intact Intact + Bite marks or bruises |
| Healed lesion | The tail is clearly shortened; the tail end is scarred, of abnormal shape or too thick to be intact. There may still be hairs at the end, but they do not grow from the entire tail tip | The tail is clearly shortened; the tail end is scarred, of abnormal shape or too thick to be intact. The skin is totally healed (no scab, wound or missing tissue). | Healed Healed + Bite marks or bruises |
| Acute lesion | There is fresh blood or a reddish scab on the tail, indicative of a lesion | There are either bite marks, bruises, or open wounds (missing skin tissue) on the tail | |
| Acute lesion: Bite marks or bruises* | NA*1 | The tail has several small brown or red points, or long scratches, indicative of biting. These might be only bruises (no visible skin damage), or include minor skin damage, but with no tissue missing, and no visible wound; or the tail has a clear violet-colored bruising without tissue damage | |
| Acute lesion: Dry scab | There is a clear dry (brownish) scab/crust on the tail, usually at the end. No fresh (red) blood | NA*1 | |
| Acute lesion: Minor wound | A wound with fresh blood or a reddish scab is present, clearly distinguishable from dirt or dry scab. Part of the tail might be missing. Wound is > 0, but <2 cm in diameter or length. | The tail has missing tissue, which has not fully healed yet; uneven “dents” in the skin; or a part of the tail is missing. Wound is > 0, but <2 cm in diameter or length. | Minor acute wound |
| Acute lesion: Major wound | A wound with fresh blood or a reddish scab is present, clearly distinguishable from dirt or dry scab. Part of the tail might be missing. Wound is 2 cm or larger in diameter or length | The tail has missing tissue, which has not fully healed yet; uneven “dents” in the skin; or a part of the tail is missing. Wound is 2 cm or larger in diameter or length | Major acute wound |
System A was used at scoring point A (after bleeding, before scalding) and system B at point B (after scalding).
*
Bite marks or bruises were not included in the overall tail score class Acute, as these were only scored on tails preliminarily scored as Intact or Healed; *1 NA, not applicable. In addition to the scores included in this table, some tails were additionally marked as “Broken” if they had lost their tip post mortem, during the scalding process.