The journey from farm to slaughterhouse is one of the most welfare-compromising events in a farm animal's life. Improving transport welfare requires attention to loading, journey conditions, and lairage management at arrival.
Transport welfare is a concentrated welfare event where poor conditions cause acute, measurable suffering to large numbers of animals in a short time. The most effective interventions are at the loading point: adequate training for livestock handlers, well-designed loading facilities that reduce falls and confusion, and avoiding mixing unfamiliar animals. Stockperson handling quality during loading is the single most important determinant of transport welfare outcome. Journey welfare depends on vehicle design, ventilation, stocking density, and journey duration. Lairage welfare at destination depends on facilities, resting time, and watering provisions. The welfare case for investment in all these aspects is supported by evidence of their impact on cortisol, injury rates, and post-mortem bruising data.