How cattle transport causes welfare harm and what evidence-based improvements reduce stress during one of the most challenging periods in cattle management.
Cattle transport is a welfare-intensive process that subjects animals to a combination of stressors — social disruption, novel environments, handling, motion, and deprivation — that individually would each cause stress and together can cause severe welfare compromise. Long-distance transport, still legal at 24 hours or more in some jurisdictions, subjects animals to the cumulative effects of all these stressors for extended periods. Journey time limits, mandatory rest, water, and feed breaks, and high-quality stockmanship training all reduce the welfare burden of transport. The most ambitious welfare solution — local slaughter that eliminates transport entirely — is gaining traction as both a welfare and sustainability objective.