# Magnesium Administration in Preslaughter Drinking Water Reduces Spinal Fractures in Pigs during Stunning

## TL;DR

Adding magnesium to pigs' drinking water before slaughter reduces spinal fractures and improves meat quality.

## Contribution

This study is the first to show that magnesium supplementation in preslaughter water reduces spinal fractures in pigs.

## Key findings

- Magnesium supplementation reduced spinal fractures from 39.4% to 30.0%.
- Pigs with fractures had lower water holding capacity, especially in the supplemented group.

## Abstract

Spinal fractures
in pigs during electrical stunning are
frequent
and compromise animal welfare, meat quality, and generate economic
losses. Despite the relevance of the problem, specific preventive
strategies are still little explored. This research evaluated, in
an unprecedented way, the effect of magnesium supplementation in drinking
water during preslaughter fasting on the occurrence of these fractures.
A total of 2,080 pigs were evaluated, divided into a control group
(CT) with 964 animals, not supplemented and a treatment group (TG)
with 1,116 animals, supplemented with magnesium in drinking water,
at a concentration of 300 mg/L. The supplementation reduced the proportion
of fractures from 39.4% (380/964) to 30.0% (335/1,116), with an odds
ratio of 0.66, suggesting a protective effect associated with muscle
relaxation. Pigs with fractures had lower water holding capacity (WHC:
0.338 vs 0.351; p = 0.0076), especially in the supplemented
group (0.333 vs 0.357; p = 0.0002), confirming the
relationship between skeletal injuries and meat quality. In conclusion,
preslaughter supplementation with magnesium is practical and effective
to reduce fractures and improve pork quality.