Bacterial arthritis in lambs: what is the cost?

Bacterial arthritis in sheep is a painful and debilitating condition that is common in lambs in all sheep-raising regions and climatic zones of Australia.

Processing cost

We investigated the economic cost of arthritis in lambs presenting to an abattoir in southern Australia using a combination of the prevalence of joint infections, carcase condemnation rates, trim weight, and carcass weight and fat measurements.

Data were collected on 354 lines of lambs representing 63 287 carcasses.

One hundred and sixty nine consignments, or approximately one-half of the consignments, had at least one carcase with arthritis/polyarthritis detected by meat inspection personnel.

The majority of carcasses with arthritis were trimmed rather than being fully condemned, with an average trim weight of 0.7 kg (range 0.10-4.45 kg).

The average total carcase weight (hot standard carcase weight plus trim) of the carcasses with arthritis was 1.2 kg less than the carcases without arthritis.

This means that an animal with arthritis results in a 1.9 kg hot standard carcase weight penalty.

Lamb growth rate

Assuming a dressing percentage of 45% this carcase penalty equates to a 2.7 kg reduction in live weight.