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Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice

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A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 38776

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Dr. Bert Driessen

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Research, Control & Consult-Belgium bv, B-3583 Paal, Belgium
Interests: animal welfare; animal behaviour; animal transport; animal enrichment; meat quality
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Dear Colleagues,

Over the past 40 years, a lot of research has been carried out on the transport of animals by road, with focus on production animals. In spite of many scientific studies, not all knowledge has been put into practice. In addition, new technologies are available to measure the impact of transport on animals and leads to new insights. However, in practice, new problems arise all the time. Although there are guidelines for determining the fitness to travel, it is not easy to assess fitness to travel in practice. Views differ, especially in cases of doubt. It is generally accepted that the transport of production animals can cause stress. This knowledge did us realise that transport can also cause stress in nonproduction animals. Do we have to take special measures if a non-fit horse or dog is transported to a veterinary clinic? And if so, which ones? Should we limit the transport distance for these animals? Does the loading process, transport and unloading have an effect on extensively reared animals such as cattle in a nature reserve? Despite the many years that animals have been transported, there is still room for improvement.

For this special edition, original manuscripts covering all aspects of the transport of animals by road in practical conditions are invited. The focus is not only on production animals, but certainly on nonproduction animals, such as transport of wild animals to a zoo, animals to a veterinarian or veterinary clinic, transport of dogs to a dog training, transport of horses to a competition... Topics of particular importance are judging the fitness for travel, loading conditions and the willingness of animals during loading, the impact of repetition (of transports), the impact of handlers, drop-outs during and after transport, and other animal transport problems in practice.

Dr. Bert Driessen
Guest Editor

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 990 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transport, Associated Handling Procedures and Behaviour of Calves Marketed through Chilean Auction Markets

by Viviana M. Bravo, Toby G. Knowles and Carmen Gallo

Animals 2020, 10(11), 2170; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10112170 - 21 Nov 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2142

Abstract

In Chile, selling animals through livestock markets is common. At markets, stressful events like loading, unloading and travel are at least duplicated. We described procedures associated with transport of calves at 20 markets and evaluated compliance with Chilean law by performing a survey of drivers who transport calves from origin farms to markets (OM) and from markets to destination (MD). During loading and unloading, we evaluated handling by stockpersons, facilities, fitness for transport, and behavioural indicators of the calves through direct observation using protocols. A total of 80% of drivers claimed having the training required by law. The mean travel time was 1 h 31 min for OM and 1 h 44 min for MD journeys (overall range 5 min–40.5 h). Most drivers used bedding material and provided adequate space availability. A total of 99.2% of the observed calves were assessed as fit to transport; slipping, turning back, vocalizing and balking were frequent behaviours observed during loading and unloading. Prohibited practices like prodding and hitting using driving devices were still observed, mainly during loading. Compliance with the law during transport of calves was adhered to; however, the associated handling within markets was still inadequate, evidencing need for training in order to improve animal welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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17 pages, 2028 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stress Response of Beagle Dogs to Repeated Short-Distance Road Transport

by Johannes Herbel, Jörg Aurich, Camille Gautier, Maria Melchert and Christine Aurich

Animals 2020, 10(11), 2114; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10112114 - 14 Nov 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4294

Abstract

This study aimed to characterize the response of transport-naïve dogs to one and two-hour road transports based on cortisol in saliva and blood plasma, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), neutrophil to lymphocyte (N/L) ratio and behavior. Two persons familiar to the dogs were present during transports and control experiments. We hypothesized that transport elicits a stress response, which decreases with repeated transports. Beagle dogs were allocated to three groups (n = 6 each). Group 1 served as control in the stable in week 1 and was transported for one hour in weeks 2, 3 and 4. Groups 2 and 3 served as controls in a non-moving vehicle and in the stable, respectively, in week 2. All three groups were transported for two hours in week 6. Cortisol concentration increased during transports (p < 0.001), and this increase remained constant with repeated transports. Cortisol release during two-hour transports was not affected by transport experience. Cortisol concentration increased twofold in plasma and eightfold in saliva, indicating an increase in free cortisol. The N/L ratio increased during transport (p < 0.05). Heart rate increased at the beginning of transport while HRV decreased (p < 0.001). Heart rate and HRV neither differed among weeks nor between animals with different transport experience. During transports, but also in the stationary vehicle, dogs were mostly sitting, and time spent standing decreased during experiments (p < 0.001). Licking the mouth was the most frequent behavior during transports but not in the stationary vehicle (p < 0.01). In conclusion, a transport-induced stress response was evident in dogs. There was no habituation with repeated transports, and transported dogs may suffer from motion sickness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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13 pages, 254 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Midazolam Alters Acid-Base Status Less than Azaperone during the Capture and Transport of Southern White Rhinoceroses (Ceratotherium simum simum)

by Friederike Pohlin, Peter Buss, Emma H. Hooijberg and Leith C. R. Meyer

Animals 2020, 10(8), 1323; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10081323 - 31 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3232

Abstract

Acidemia represents a major life-threatening factor during rhinoceros capture. The acid-base status during rhinoceros transport is unknown. The purpose of this study was to describe changes in acid-base status during rhinoceros capture and transport and compare these changes between rhinoceroses sedated with azaperone or midazolam. Twenty-three wild white rhinoceros bulls were road-transported 280 km for reasons unrelated to this study. Rhinoceroses were captured with etorphine-azaperone (Group A) or etorphine-midazolam (Group M). During transport, azaperone (Group A) or midazolam (Group M) was re-administered every 2 h and venous blood collected. Changes in blood pH and associated variables were compared over time and between groups using a general linear mixed model. Rhinoceroses of both groups experienced a respiratory and metabolic acidosis during capture (pH 7.109 ± 0.099 and 7.196 ± 0.111 for Group A and Group M, respectively) that was quickly compensated for by the start of transport (pH 7.441 ± 0.035 and 7.430 ± 0.057) and remained stable throughout the journey. Rhinoceroses from Group M showed a smaller decrease in pH and associated variables at capture than rhinoceroses from Group A (p = 0.012). The use of midazolam instead of azaperone could therefore improve the success of rhinoceros capture and thus, contribute to the outcome of important conservation translocations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

8 pages, 497 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

May Salivary Chromogranin A Act as a Physiological Index of Stress in Transported Donkeys? A Pilot Study

by Francesca Dai, Emanuela Dalla Costa, Simona Cannas, Eugenio Ugo Luigi Heinzl, Michela Minero and Silvia Michela Mazzola

Animals 2020, 10(6), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10060972 - 03 Jun 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2211

Abstract

Road transport is known to be a stressful animal husbandry procedure as it induces the activation of two main physiological stress-related pathways: the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis and the sympathetic-adrenal medulla axis. This preliminary study aimed to investigate whether salivary chromogranin A (CgA) concentration, known as a biomarker of the sympathetic activity system during psychological stress, may represent a novel physiological index of transportation-induced stress in donkeys. Nineteen Romagnolo donkeys, raised in groups on paddocks, were subject to two transportations, following the farm’s routine procedures, for a mean duration of 64 min each on two consecutive days. Salivary samples were gently collected 15 min before and 15 min after each transportation. Salivary CgA was measured by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test. Results showed that CgA salivary levels significantly decreased after both transportations. The physiological mechanisms underlying this result may be related to catestatin activity, a bioactive product of the proteolytic cleavage of CgA, that acts as an inhibitor of catecholamine release. This hypothesis requires further investigation, particularly considering the limited number of subjects involved in this preliminary study. The identification of a reliable and non-invasive stress-marker would represent a useful tool for improving farm animals’ welfare in transport conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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18 pages, 330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Housing, Short Distance Transport and Lairage on Meat Quality of Finisher Pigs

by Bert Driessen, Sanne Van Beirendonck and Johan Buyse

Animals 2020, 10(5), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10050788 - 02 May 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3114

Abstract

Transport and associated handling can have adverse effects on pig welfare and meat quality. The purpose of the study was to determine (the variation of) effects of farm management, climate parameters, transport and lairage conditions on the meat quality of fattening pigs, heterozygous for the halothane gene. A total of 4763 fattening pigs were transported from 1 farm to a commercial slaughterhouse (distance 110 km) in 121 transports. From 2404 carcasses, carcass temperature and pH were measured 45 min post-mortem; 48 hours post-mortem pH, electrical conductivity, drip loss and meat color were registered. During the raising period sex, conditions at weaning (purchased or not as piglet, vaccination against mycoplasma) and (type of) pen during fattening (i.e., from about 22 kg to 105 kg) were registered to relate with pork quality. Transport season, weather parameters, regrouping or not during loading, transport combination (truck, trailer and driver), transport compartment and transport conditions (loading density, transport duration and unloading time) were monitored. At the slaughterhouse, duration of lairage and carcass conformation were followed up to examine correlations with meat quality parameters. Effects of farm management, climate parameters during transport, transport and slaughterhouse conditions on pork quality were demonstrated. Specifically, reducing lung lesions by vaccination during raising, no mixing of pigs during the transport process, sufficient lairage time and transporting no extreme muscled pigs can improve meat quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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12 pages, 3073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Body Temperature Responses During Phases of Work in Human Remains Detection Dogs Undergoing a Simulated Deployment

by Janice Baker, Mallory DeChant, Eileen Jenkins, George Moore, Kathleen Kelsey and Erin Perry

Animals 2020, 10(4), 673; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040673 - 13 Apr 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 6501

Abstract

Body temperature responses were recorded during phases of work (waiting-to-work in close proximity to search site, active work in a search site, and post-work recovery crated in vehicle) in human remains detection dogs during search training. State or federally certified human remains detection dogs (n = 8) completed eight iterations of searching across multiple novel search environments to detect numerous scent sources including partial and complete, buried, hidden, or fully visible human remains. Internal temperature (Tgi) of the body was measured continuously using an ingestible thermistor in the gastrointestinal tract. Mean total phase times were: waiting-to-work: 9.17 min (±2.27); active work: 8:58 min (±2:49); and post-work recovery: 24:04 min (±10.59). Tgi was impacted by phase of work (p < 0.001) with a small increase during active work, with mean peak temperature 39.4 °C (±0.34 °C) during that period. Tgi continued to increase for a mean of 6:37 (±6:04) min into the post-work recovery phase in the handler’s vehicle with a mean peak Tgi of 39.66 °C (±0.41 °C). No significant increase in temperature was measured during the waiting-to-work phase, suggesting behaviors typical of anticipation of work did not appear to contribute to overall body temperature increase during the waiting-to-work recovery cycle. Continued increase of gastrointestinal body temperature several minutes after cessation of exercise indicates that risk of heat injury does not immediately stop when the dog stops exercising, although none of the dogs in this study reached clinically concerning body temperatures or displayed any behavioral signs suggestive of pending heat injury. More work is needed to better understand the impact of vehicle crating on post-work recovery temperatures in dogs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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23 pages, 4628 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Horse Transport to Three South American Horse Slaughterhouses: A Descriptive Study

by Béke Nivelle, Liesbeth Vermeulen, Sanne Van Beirendonck, Jos Van Thielen and Bert Driessen

Animals 2020, 10(4), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040602 - 01 Apr 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4357

Abstract

Between November 2016 and October 2017, 23 horse transports from 18 collection points to two slaughterhouses in Argentina and one in Uruguay were monitored. The goal of this study was to characterize the current practices in commercial horse transports and to detect potential threats to horse welfare. A total of 596 horses were transported over an average distance of 295 ± 250 km. Average transport duration was 294 ± 153 min. The infrastructure did not always promote smooth loading, but the amount of horses that refused to enter the trailers was limited. In each loading space, a camera was mounted to observe horse behaviour during the journey. Ambient temperature and relative humidity (RH) were recorded every five minutes in each loading space. In 14 of the 23 transports, the maximum temperature rose above 25 °C and the average temperature was over 25 °C during six transports. The average temperature humidity index (THI) exceeded 72 during six transports. The average stocking density was 1.40 ± 0.33 m² per horse, or 308 ± 53 kg/m². The degree of aggression differed between the front and rear loading space. Stocking density, environmental parameters, trailer characteristics, and transport duration and distance did not influence aggressiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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15 pages, 568 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Transport and Lairage on the Skin Damage of Pig Carcasses

by Bert Driessen, Sanne Van Beirendonck and Johan Buyse

Animals 2020, 10(4), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040575 - 29 Mar 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2931

Abstract

Transport and associated handling can have adverse effects on pig welfare. The transport of fattening pigs can cause economic losses by virtue of mortality, skin damage, and the general deterioration of meat quality. A total of 4507 fattening pigs were transported from a farm to a commercial slaughterhouse (distance 110 km) in 128 transports. Skin damage was visually assessed in the slaughter line in different parts of the carcass, i.e., shoulder, middle, and ham, using a 4-point scale. The incidence of skin damage was most prevalent (31%) in the shoulder region of the pig carcass. Sex, wind velocity, regrouping, transport combination, transport compartment, lairage time, and ham angle affected the skin damage incidence. In conclusion, scoring the incidence of skin damage is an indicator of the level of welfare exercised during transport and the slaughterhouse conditions. Furthermore, skin damage monitoring can be used to determine critical control points in the transport procedure. Given the importance from both a commercial and welfare perspective, it should be a powerful incentive to handle fattening pigs with care during the transport process and the lairage period. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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11 pages, 591 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Grouping on Skin Lesions and Meat Quality of Pig Carcasses

by Bert Driessen, Sanne Van Beirendonck and Johan Buyse

Animals 2020, 10(4), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040544 - 25 Mar 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2656

Abstract

In practice, unfamiliar pigs are frequently mixed prior to loading in order to obtain groups of uniform weight and to adjust the group size to the dimensions of the trailer compartments. Mixing pigs induces aggressive interactions to establish a new social rank. Fighting results in skin lesions and pre-slaughter stress and, in turn, reduced meat quality. A study was performed to compare the effect of non-regrouping and regrouping at fattening (at 80 kg and kept till slaughter), loading and lairage. A total of 1332 pigs were included over 30 transports from one pig farm to one slaughterhouse (110 km). Skin lesions were determined on 1314 carcasses. Meat quality was measured on 620 pigs. The non-regrouped pigs had fewer skin lesions and better meat quality than the pigs regrouped at loading or in lairage. Pigs mixed at 80 kg at the farm had, in general, a comparable amount of skin lesions and comparable meat quality as the non-mixed group. If mixing is unavoidable, due to large within-group weight variations, mixing at 80 kg can be an alternative to reduce skin lesions at slaughter and to optimise meat quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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Review

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10 pages, 568 KiB

Open AccessReview

Fasting Finisher Pigs before Slaughter Influences Pork Safety, Pork Quality and Animal Welfare

by Bert Driessen, Louis Freson and Johan Buyse

Animals 2020, 10(12), 2206; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10122206 - 25 Nov 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6096

Abstract

The final phase in pork production is the transport of finisher pigs to the slaughterhouse. Fasting is one of the parameters that influence the stress coping ability of the pigs during transport and lairage. When implemented correctly with attention to the local factors, pre-slaughter fasting can improve animal welfare, pathogen risk and carcass hygiene. The length of pre-slaughter feed withdrawal time is important to the success of the production practice. In practice, a fasting time before slaughter between 12 and 18 h enhances pork safety, pork quality, and animal welfare. This means that communication between producer and slaughterhouse is essential when planning the fasting and lairage times to avoid carcass and technological pork quality problems (such as pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) meat or dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Animal Transport on the Road: In Practice)

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