Cattle transport is a significant welfare event that has seen important advances in monitoring technology, regulatory standards, and industry practice over recent decades.
Cattle transport welfare has improved substantially through better understanding of animal behavior and the development of monitoring technologies, but significant welfare compromise remains common in practice. The physiological stress of transport - mixing with unfamiliar animals, noise, vibration, unfamiliar smells, and loss of social context - triggers sustained cortisol elevation that can last for days after journey completion. Loading and unloading are particularly high-risk for injury, with falls and bruising from improper facilities causing significant welfare harm. Long-distance live export of cattle to countries with minimal welfare standards during journey and slaughter represents a major unresolved welfare challenge requiring international regulatory harmonization.