Livestock transport highlighted in welfare research
Researchers suggest monitoring animals during the unloading process at abattoirs.
Research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has called for changes to livestock inspections during their transport to abattoirs.
Based on observations of animals which had been transported to abattoirs in the UK, researchers have produced a new framework to guide future inspection practices.
The study was led by researchers from the RVC, including final-year student Sayaka Mochizuki and senior lecturer in veterinary public health Kurt Arden. They sought to understand how welfare issues were identified during ante-mortem inspections, comparing observations from unloading with those made later in lairage holding pens.
Throughout the study, researchers examined thousands of animals at a UK abattoir, including cattle, sheep and pigs.
Observations made during unloading were found to significantly increase the detection of welfare issues, including lameness, slipping and falling. Welfare problems were more likely to be identified in all species at this stage, with detection rates increasing tenfold in some cases.
This is believed to be due to issues being easier to spot when animals are in motion rather than stationary.
Researchers have proposed a new practical inspection approach called Animal-Based Measurement (ABM). The framework implements simple visual checks during unloading to identify potential health issues.
It is suggested that this strategy will enable veterinary surgeons to identify problems earlier, meaning they can provide more effective feedback to farmers and transporters and reduce suffering. Researchers say that the ABM offers a straightforward and evidence-based way to improve food safety standards.
The ABM has been designed to be implemented into ‘real world settings’ without disrupting abattoir operations.
Researchers believe that the simple change of observing animals as they are unloaded from vehicles will ‘dramatically’ change how welfare issues are detected. This could reduce unnecessary suffering, improve end-of-life conditions and support food safety standards.
Sayaka Mochizuki, final year veterinary student at RVC and lead author of the study, said: “Animal transport ultimately serves the human economic and commodity interests. While the experience is relatively brief, it defines the final moments of the lives of production animals and the nature of their death.
“We have a moral obligation to undertake this process as ethically as possible, and our proposal provides a simple but effective way toward a more improved norm.”
The full study can be found in the journal Veterinary Record.
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