Livestock transport is one of the most acutely stressful experiences in the lives of farmed cattle, with millions of animals transported annually under conditions that can cause injury, exhaustion, dehydration, and death.
Livestock transport concentrates multiple stressors into a brief period — separation from familiar conspecifics, novel environments, noise, motion, temperature extremes, and food and water deprivation. The physiological stress response during transport is measurable and significant. Animals transported for extended periods show elevated cortisol, compromised immune function, and weight loss from both stress and dehydration. The 28-hour US transport law is one of the weakest livestock protection laws in the developed world, and the EU approach — requiring more frequent rest stops and shorter maximum journey times — demonstrates that better standards are commercially viable.