Livestock markets are high-risk disease transmission points. Biosecurity protocols at marts protect individual animal welfare and prevent farm-level disease introduction.
Animals at markets experience stress from novel environments, unfamiliar animals, handling and transport. Welfare at markets depends on pen quality, water availability, shade or shelter from cold, competent handling and prompt removal of injured or distressed animals. Collarless slatted flooring, inadequate water provision and rough handling all compromise welfare during mart attendance. Disease acquisition at markets creates delayed welfare harm when animals return to farm and potentially spread to the whole herd. Buying in animals with unknown disease status is the single highest-risk action for introducing disease to a closed herd.