Assessment of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of animal handlers on the pre-slaughter welfare of sheep and goats in selected abattoirs in Kampala, Uganda 

Year: 2022

Joseph Tumusiime
Makerere University, Uganda 

Supervisor: Makerere University, Uganda 
Dr Dickson Stuart Tayebwa 

HSA Student/Trainee Scholarship 2022 

This study aimed to assess animal handlers in two abattoirs in Kampala, Uganda, for their knowledge, attitudes, and practices on the pre-slaughter welfare of sheep and goats. A structured questionnaire and an observation checklist were used for data collection. Randomly selected respondents (n=72) took part in this study. Respondents demonstrated good pre-slaughter welfare knowledge.  The responses from a majority (36%) demonstrated good knowledge, followed by 25% who demonstrated very good knowledge.  Additionally, respondents demonstrated good attitudes.  The responses from a majority (56%) demonstrated good attitudes followed by 27% who demonstrated very good attitudes.  However, although the respondents demonstrated a good level of knowledge and good attitudes, many (33%) of the animal handlers were observed performing very poor pre-slaughter welfare practices.  It was also noted that the caretakers in lairage demonstrated the least knowledge and the worst attitudes compared to the traders and transporters. Level of education and religion were found to significantly influence animal welfare attitudes unlike age. The results from this study point to a need to ascertain why animal handlers with reasonably good knowledge and attitudes demonstrated very poor pre-slaughter welfare practices in the abattoirs.