Long-distance cattle transport causes significant welfare harms including exhaustion, dehydration, injury, and stress, with journey duration and conditions being primary welfare determinants.
Long-distance cattle transport imposes cumulative welfare harms that escalate with journey duration. Each hour of transport without adequate rest, water, and feed adds physiological stress that impairs immune function, causes weight loss, and increases injury risk from falls and trampling. The live export trade, which moves cattle thousands of kilometers by sea to countries with lower slaughter welfare standards, compounds transport welfare harms with destination slaughter welfare failures. Shortening transport journeys, requiring rest stops with adequate facilities, and transitioning from live export to chilled meat trade are the highest-impact transport welfare improvements available.