Risk Factors for Abattoir Condemnation of Turkey Carcasses Due to Cyanosis in Southern Ontario

Cyanosis is a category of condemnation for poultry, as defined by Agriculture and Agrifood Canada. A retrospective study to examine the seasonal patterns and trends for turkey cyanosis condemnation was conducted for the years 1987 to 1995 with the use of condemnation records made available by a single abattoir in Ontario. Condemnation for cyanosis had a significant seasonal pattern, with major losses occurring in the colder months (October to March). A prospective longitudinal study was conducted during January to March and October to December 1996 in the same abattoir and the 75 turkey farms that contracted to process their birds through it and all the 913 truckloads of turkeys processed in these two 3-mo periods. The data from this prospective (