<![CDATA[Beef cattle, particularly Simmental and Limpo breeds, are strategic commodities in the supply of animal protein, which plays an important role in supporting national food security. The quality of beef is not only determined by management factors at the farm level, but is also influenced by environmental conditions and management practices at slaughterhouses. An unfavorable slaughterhouse environment has the potential to cause physiological stress in livestock prior to slaughter, thereby impacting the quality of the carcass and meat produced. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of slaughterhouse environmental conditions on the physiological response and death rate of Simmental and Limpo beef cattle in Surakarta City. The study was conducted over one month at the Surakarta Animal Health Centre Slaughterhouse using 14 cattle, consisting of 7 Simmental and 7 Limpo. The parameters observed included temperature, humidity, temperature humidity index (THI), heart rate, heart rate frequency (HRF), respiratory rate (RR), and the post-slaughter time to death (PTD). The data obtained were analyzed with Pearson's correlation test using IBM® SPSS Statistics 25.0 for Windows. The results showed that the THI value had a significant correlation with the RR and PTD (P<0.05), while no significance was observed in HRF (P>0.05). These findings indicate that increased temperature and humidity can worsen physiological stress levels, which ultimately reduces meat quality. Thus, the application of animal welfare principles and good, hygienic, and standardized slaughterhouse environmental management are crucial factors in ensuring livestock quality and supporting the sustainability of national beef production.]]>
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