Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare

Transport of farm animals gives rise to concern about their welfare. Specific attention has been given to the duration of animal transport, and maximum journey durations are used in legislation that seek to minimise any negative impact of transport on animal welfare. This paper reviews the relativel...

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Main Authors: B.L. Nielsen, L. Dybkjær, M.S. Herskin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2011-01-01
Series:Animal
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731110001989
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author B.L. Nielsen
L. Dybkjær
M.S. Herskin
author_facet B.L. Nielsen
L. Dybkjær
M.S. Herskin
author_sort B.L. Nielsen
collection DOAJ
description Transport of farm animals gives rise to concern about their welfare. Specific attention has been given to the duration of animal transport, and maximum journey durations are used in legislation that seek to minimise any negative impact of transport on animal welfare. This paper reviews the relatively few scientific investigations into effects of transport duration on animal welfare in cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and poultry. From the available literature, we attempt to distinguish between aspects, which will impair welfare on journeys of any duration, such as those associated with loading, and those aspects that may be exacerbated by journey time. We identify four aspects of animal transport, which have increasing impact on welfare as transport duration increases. These relate to (i) the physiological and clinical state of the animal before transport; and – during transport – to (ii) feeding and watering; (iii) rest and (iv) thermal environment. It is thus not journey duration per se but these associated negative aspects that are the cause of compromised welfare. We suggest that with a few exceptions, transport of long duration is possible in terms of animal welfare provided that these four issues can be dealt with for the species and the age group of the animals that are transported.
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spelling doaj.art-44369bd8d8d141299e20ea75e6d14da32022-12-21T22:48:43ZengElsevierAnimal1751-73112011-01-0153415427Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfareB.L. Nielsen0L. Dybkjær1M.S. Herskin2Department of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, DenmarkDepartment of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, DenmarkDepartment of Animal Health and Bioscience, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, PO Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, DenmarkTransport of farm animals gives rise to concern about their welfare. Specific attention has been given to the duration of animal transport, and maximum journey durations are used in legislation that seek to minimise any negative impact of transport on animal welfare. This paper reviews the relatively few scientific investigations into effects of transport duration on animal welfare in cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and poultry. From the available literature, we attempt to distinguish between aspects, which will impair welfare on journeys of any duration, such as those associated with loading, and those aspects that may be exacerbated by journey time. We identify four aspects of animal transport, which have increasing impact on welfare as transport duration increases. These relate to (i) the physiological and clinical state of the animal before transport; and – during transport – to (ii) feeding and watering; (iii) rest and (iv) thermal environment. It is thus not journey duration per se but these associated negative aspects that are the cause of compromised welfare. We suggest that with a few exceptions, transport of long duration is possible in terms of animal welfare provided that these four issues can be dealt with for the species and the age group of the animals that are transported.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731110001989farm animal welfaretransport durationjourney time
spellingShingle B.L. Nielsen
L. Dybkjær
M.S. Herskin
Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
Animal
farm animal welfare
transport duration
journey time
title Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
title_full Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
title_fullStr Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
title_full_unstemmed Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
title_short Road transport of farm animals: effects of journey duration on animal welfare
title_sort road transport of farm animals effects of journey duration on animal welfare
topic farm animal welfare
transport duration
journey time
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1751731110001989
work_keys_str_mv AT blnielsen roadtransportoffarmanimalseffectsofjourneydurationonanimalwelfare
AT ldybkjær roadtransportoffarmanimalseffectsofjourneydurationonanimalwelfare
AT msherskin roadtransportoffarmanimalseffectsofjourneydurationonanimalwelfare