Animal Handling Facilities and Transport

Question 1

Objectives of Handling Facilities

Answer 1

Provide comfort and adequate food.
Minimise injury and disease risk.
Provide a safe and comfortable working environment.
Provide high labour efficiency.

Question 2

Dangers in Handling Facilities

Answer 2

Inexperienced handlers, slippery floors, poor lighting, accumulation of gases, animal aggression, overcrowding.

Question 3

Welfare Issues for Farm Animal Transport

Answer 3

Loading/unloading methods
Fatigue and Journey times
Heat and cold stress
Injury and inspection which includes vehicle standards and driver competence
Hunger, dehydration and thirst
Stocking density on trucks
Motion sickness

Question 4

Vehicle Specifications

Answer 4

Vehicles must be non-slip floor of adequate strength, absorbent floor litter or other means of removing faeces, sufficient space and head room, adequate ventilation, easy to clean and escape roof, no sharp edges or protrusions, suitable loading angle.
High specification vehicles will have sufficient bedding, appropriate and sufficient feed, direct access to animals, adequate ventilation, moveable pen dividers, vehicles equipped for connection to a water supply when stopped.

Question 5

Primary Welfare Issues for Cattle

Answer 5

Loading and unloading, goad use, stick marks and bruising, bad ramps.
Mixing young bulls
Lactating cows require milking

Question 6

Primary Welfare Issues for Goats and Sheep

Answer 6

Fear during loading and unloading, heat stress, space allowances should be grater for unshorn or pregnant animals, feed provision during rest stops, sheep eat first and may not drink for up to 6 hours.