The humane management of animals during handling and transportation to ensure their safety, minimize stress, and avoid injuries.
Animal Behavior: Understanding animal behavior can help minimize stress and anxiety during handling and transportation. Knowing animal behavior patterns helps to create a conducive environment during transportation to keep the animals comfortable.
Facility Design and Construction: The design and construction of livestock handling and transportation facilities are essential to ensure safety, ease, and efficient handling of animals.
Handling Techniques: Proper handling techniques ensure the safety of both the handlers and the animals during transportation.
Loading and Unloading: The way animals are loaded and unloaded from vehicles is crucial in minimizing stress and injuries during transportation.
Transportation Vehicles and Trailers: Different types of vehicles are required based on the number and type of animals being transported. It is essential to choose the right type of vehicles to ensure the animal's safety during transportation.
Animal Identification and Record Keeping: Animal identification and record keeping are critical in managing and tracking the animals during transportation.
Health and Disease Prevention: Maintaining animal health, ensuring vaccinations are up to date, and preventing diseases can help reduce the risk of illness during transportation.
Animal Welfare Regulations and Guidelines: Familiarity with animal welfare laws and guidelines is important to comply with regulations and ensure that animal welfare is followed during handling and transportation.
Emergency Response: Having an emergency plan can help in case of unforeseen events or accidents during transportation.
Employee Training and Education: Employee training is essential for handlers to be familiar with the handling and transportation protocols and also ensure that the handlers and animals are safe during transportation.
Herding: The process of moving animals from one location to another on foot, usually by a group of people or trained dogs.
Trucking: The transportation of animals from one location to another via trailers or trucks.
Loading and Unloading: The process of moving animals onto and off of transportation vehicles.
Sorting: Dividing animals into separate groups based on various characteristics such as age, gender or size.
Holding Pens: Enclosed areas for temporary confinement of animals before or after transportation.
Stunning: The process of rendering the animal unconscious before slaughter.
Slaughter: The process of killing and preparing animals for food consumption.
Branding: The process of burning a mark or symbol onto an animal's skin in order to identify ownership.
Vaccination: Providing vaccinations or immunizations to animals in order to prevent the spread of diseases.
Culling: The process of removing animals from a herd or flock which are not productive or healthy, in order to improve the overall quality of the population.
Artificial Insemination: A method used to breed animals where sperm is inserted into the female reproductive tract without sexual intercourse.
Record-Keeping: The practice of recording important information such as weight, vaccinations, and medical treatments for each individual animal in order to monitor their health and productivity.
Feed Management: The practice of managing the diet and nutrition of animals in order to promote growth and health.
Water Management: Ensuring that animals have access to clean drinking water on a regular basis.
Pasture Rotation: The practice of moving animals to different grazing areas in order to prevent over-grazing and promote healthy pasture growth.