Objectives: The main goal of poultry production industry is to increase quality and quantity of meat production. Mortality during the growing period and carcass condemnations in abattoir are major causes of economic losses. Meat inspection at slaughter has been recognized as one way of assessing the disease status of herds or flocks and it has an important role to play in epidemiology and preventive veterinary medicine. The main aim of the present study was to determine the frequency and reasons of carcass condemnations in a Poultry abattoir in Quchan city during a 41-month period. Materials &Methods: Meat-inspection records of a slaughterhouse in Quchan city, during March 2008 to August2011 were obtained. Data consisted of the total number slaughtered; total number condemned and reasons of condemnation on a monthly basis. Seasonal pattern over the full study period was investigated by Chi-Square test. Results & conclusion: Over the 41-month study period, 26,756,457 birds were slaughtered in the surveyed abattoir. As a result of inspections, 144,548 (0.54%) birds were condemned.The condemnation was increasing from 0.46% in 2009 to 0.55% in 2011. Of the condemned carcasses, 43.6%, 36.1% and 16.36% were due to cachexia, septicemia and ascites respectively. Very low proportion (1.2%) of condemnation was due to slaughter-related causes. Total condemnation had a significant seasonal pattern. Total condemnation in spring was significantly less than other seasons. Proportion of condemnation due to septicemia in autumn was greater and in winter was less than spring (p<0.01). Proportion of condemnation due to cachexia in summer and autumn was greater and in winter was less than spring (p<0.001). Proportion of condemnation due to ascites in winter was greater than spring (p=0.04). In conclusion, the majority of condemnations are caused by diseases. Therefore, improving the standard of disease prevention and control on farms is necessary.

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