A Review

Transportation of commercial finished cattle and animal welfare considerations

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to evaluate and report current finished cattle road transportation on animal health and welfare and carcass quality within the United States and Canada. Reviewed literature was divided into the 5 distinct categories of: 1) microclimate; 2) loading density; 3) duration of transport; 4) quality of transport; and 5) animal behavior. These 5 factors influence animal health, welfare, and carcass quality considerations, resulting in differing levels of manipulation and understanding within the reported literature. Duration, loading density, and animal behavior effects are more easily defined than those of microclimate and transport quality. Altering 1 of the factors can have an unintended impact on another, thus causing less defined results. These factors and their interactions must be further evaluated to fully understand the impact these stressors have on animal welfare and economic return. The objectives of this review were to compile previous literature and identify research areas that will further improve cattle transportation.