Farm animal transport causes stress, injury, and death for millions of animals annually. Understanding transport welfare science helps drive better regulation and practice across species.
Transport welfare affects billions of farm animals annually — pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry, and fish all experience transport stress. The species-specific welfare challenges are distinct: cattle require secure footing and partition layout; pigs risk hyperthermia and social aggression during mixing; poultry suffer from temperature extremes and dehydration; fish experience hypoxia in transport tanks. Journey duration is the primary regulatory lever, but space allowance, vehicle design, driver training, and rest stop quality all matter equally. The welfare case for local slaughter — reducing journey times by slaughtering near production — is strong. Technology enabling real-time transport monitoring (GPS, temperature, humidity) is improving enforcement capacity.