Show bruises on livestock reduce meat values high number of injuries result of carelessness one of the less spectacular but nevertheless important factors con on to the reduction of 0 meat and livestock values Is the waste of meat and lower grading ot of pork cuts because of bruising in view of this it is important to the welfare of the livestock industry and consumer alike that more care and patince patience be used us in handling hogs bruise tests conducted recently by the live stock sanitary committee ut at sioux city iowa on hogs BACKS guised arus BRUISED HAAS WAS BEL 0 0 tests made on hogs indicate that the hams receive more bruises than any other part of the animal indicate that there are more bruises on hams than on all other major parts of market hogs when the animals are driven they tend to turn away from the driver which often results in their getting hit or kicked on the hams the bruise tests on the hogs turned up a total of bruised hams bruised bellies bruised shoulders and bruised backs hams are much more inore often bruised on the lower part of the cushion and shank or collar according to the tests which showed and bruises respectively this indicates that hogs probably are bruised when being driven or sorted most of the injuries are surface bruises and many are caused by the driver kicking the hog or punching the animal with a cane sorting pole club end gate rod or some other handy instrument some of the ham bruises are caused by protruding nails broken boards bolt heads or ends of gate hinges in yards alleys and loading chutes others occur when trucks are not flush with loading or unloading chutes and platforms and the legs of the hogs slip into the space between the truck and the tha chutes scraping the sides of the shanks up to the cushion of the ham |