Impact of a slow walk at pre-slaughter on behavior, physiology, oxidative stress, carcass and meat quality in beef cattle.

A 10 km pre-slaughter walk caused transient stress responses but did not compromise carcass or meat quality in beef steers.

This five-year prospective study evaluated the impact of a 10 km slow walk (average speed 4.22 km/h over approximately 2.5 hours) performed the day before slaughter on behavior, physiology, oxidative stress, carcass traits, and meat quality in 660 pasture-finished beef steers. Animals were randomized into exercised (10 km walk) and unexercised control groups across 22 slaughter events in a randomized complete block design. In the hour following exercise, walking-stress steers demonstrated marked behavioral and physiological responses, including a sixfold reduction in rumination, tenfold increase in panting, and double the water intake compared to controls. Despite these acute responses, post-slaughter analysis revealed no significant differences in carcass traits, blood stress biomarkers, or muscle antioxidant status between groups. Notably, the walking-stress group exhibited lower drip loss, lower cooking loss, and reduced shear force values, suggesting a potential improvement in certain meat quality parameters. Muscle glycogen concentrations were significantly lower in the exercised group without corresponding differences in lactate levels, indicating partial glycogen depletion without apparent anaerobic compensation. These findings suggest that a single moderate-duration walk at this speed and distance, conducted the day before slaughter, induces transient physiological and behavioral stress responses but does not negatively affect—and may modestly benefit—carcass and meat quality outcomes in beef cattle.

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