Wet carcass syndrome: a scourge in SA sheep farming

Wet carcass syndrome continues to take a huge financial toll on South African sheep farmers. Octavia Avesca Spandiel spoke to two experts about the ongoing genetic research aimed at addressing this issue.

- Octavia Avesca Spandiel

Wet carcass syndrome (WCS) is a perplexing condition that significantly impacts the quality of sheep carcasses post-slaughter. The syndrome manifests itself after the slaughtering process, making it difficult to detect and prevent while the animal is alive. This condition poses considerable economic challenges to the sheep farming industry, particularly in South Africa, where it has been a persistent issue since the 19805.

Bhaveni B Kooverjee, a doctoral candidate at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) researching WCS, and Dr Pranisha Soma, a researcher at the ARC, shed light on this complex syndrome, delving into the clinical signs, potential physiological and biochemical markers, impact on carcass processing, recent research findings and the economic implications of WCS.

"WCS is a condition that is only found in sheep and appears after slaughter. Prior to slaughter, the animal appears normal and unaffected. However, after the 24-hour cooling period, the carcass appears to have a sticky, slimy layer coating the entire outer layer of the carcass," explains Kooverjee. This condition makes the carcasses difficult to handle and its appearance affects its marketability

PHYSIOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS

Detecting WCS before slaughter is a significant challenge. "WCS appears post-slaughter, there are no symptoms prior that we can use as identifying markers to say that this animal will be susceptible to WCS. It appears at the carcass stage," notes Kooverjee. This absence of early markers complicates efforts to manage and prevent the syndrome effectively. The presence of a slimy layer on the carcass significantly hampers processing. "The carcass, as it goes through the processes in the abattoir, becomes very difficult for the abattoir people to cut and clean because it's so slippery. The tools even slip off, posing a challenge for the abattoir workers working on the carcass," explains Kooverjee.