Cattle transport is one of the most acutely stressful experiences in farmed animal lives, and evidence-based handling practices can substantially reduce suffering.
Transport is a convergence of multiple simultaneous stressors for cattle: unfamiliar environments, vehicle motion, noise, mixing with strangers, and separation from herd mates. The physiological stress response — elevated cortisol, immunosuppression, weight loss, and reduced disease resistance — is measurable for days after transport ends. Handling quality at loading and unloading is the most modifiable welfare variable: low-stress handling using curved races, solid sides to prevent distraction, and non-electric-prod encouragement dramatically reduces acute stress. Journey duration reduction through slaughter facility decentralisation — reducing the distance animals travel from farm to slaughter — is a structural solution that addresses transport welfare systemically.