Aidin Azizpour - Department of Medicinal Plants, Meshginshahr Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.
Zahra Amirajam - Department of Cardiology, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.

Poultry meat production worldwide has continued to expand over the last two decades. In this regard, hygienic meat inspection and monitoring of diseases at slaughter lines have been recognized as essential for assessing flocks' status. This study aimed to determine the condemnation rate of slaughtered poultry and calculate the economic losses due to condemnations in the Namin industrial slaughterhouse, Ardabil Province of Iran. The data were collected by a veterinarian inspector in the slaughterhouse. The number of poultry slaughtered, their weight, the number and weight of condemned carcasses, and the reasons for condemnation were recorded.  In this study, ۳,۴۸۸,۹۱۶ poultry were slaughtered, and ۴۲,۳۱۰ carcasses (۱.۲۰۲ %) were condemned, weighing ۶۶,۳۸۵ kg. The highest percentage of condemned poultry was observed in autumn (۱.۶۱%), and the lowest in spring (۰.۹۳%). The direct financial loss incurred due to condemnations was estimated to be as high as ۱۵۳,۰۶۷ USD. Septicemia and dead on arrival (DOA) were the most common reasons for the rejection of carcasses, accounting for ۴۷.۸۵% and ۰.۵۸۰ of the total condemnations and total slaughtered poultry, respectively. The highest frequency percentage of the condemnation due to diseases occurred during autumn.In contrast, summer had the highest condemnation rate in association with DOA. The current survey showed that diseases caused the most condemnations compared to other causes. Therefore, improving disease control programs on flocks and increasing the welfare of birds before slaughter is recommended.

Condemned carcasses, Septicemia, Dead on arrival, Slaughterhouse, Namin