The transport of live cattle for slaughter or further rearing causes significant welfare suffering that is directly related to journey duration, handling quality, and vehicle design.
Live animal transport causes measurable welfare suffering through physical discomfort, motion sickness, dehydration, and psychological stress of unfamiliar environments and social disruption. The welfare cost increases with journey duration - long international live export journeys lasting days cause severe, cumulative suffering. Reducing journey times by moving to a slaughter-at-origin model, where products rather than live animals travel, would eliminate much transport welfare suffering. Consumer and regulatory pressure for shorter maximum journey times and live export bans are the most effective welfare interventions.