The transport of livestock for slaughter, breeding, and restocking involves significant welfare risks from crowding, temperature stress, dehydration, injury, and the psychological stress of an entirely novel environment.
The transport stage of livestock production is a concentrated welfare risk point. Animals accustomed to familiar farm environments are exposed to novel vehicles, loading facilities, sounds, smells, and animal groupings simultaneously. The physiological stress of transport is documented through cortisol levels, immune suppression, and weight loss. Long-distance live export creates sustained welfare harms across journeys measured in days rather than hours, with limited oversight of conditions in destination countries. The welfare alternative of slaughtering closer to production and transporting carcasses rather than live animals eliminates most transport welfare concerns. Shorter transport distances, trained handlers, well-designed loading facilities, and appropriate stocking densities within vehicles all reduce but cannot eliminate transport welfare costs.