Cattle welfare

Evidence suggests visible and bacterial cleanliness declines with increasing transport time and distance.

It is advisable to modify the diet, or to withdraw food for a short time before transport, to reduce faecal soiling.

Feeding a straw diet for 1-2 days prior to transport has been shown to be beneficial. When animals are transported to market or slaughter the following points should be considered:

• use a reputable haulier/transporter
• consider pre-transport diet
• vehicles clean, disinfected and well ventilated
• adequate clean and fresh straw bedding
• animals dry at loading and kept dry throughout, up to the point of slaughter
• mixing animals avoided

Owners and those looking after cattle have a legal responsibility to protect the welfare of animals at all times.