6.2 How can I determine transportability?
Depending on the nature of the injury or illness, animals may sometimes be excluded from transport. Reasons:
- Weakened animals
- cannot assert themselves against stronger animals
- cannot maintain their balance during the journey (braking, changes of direction, acceleration)
- Injuries or organ prolapse could be exacerbated by transport, leading to significant pain and damage, and potentially to death due to haemorrhaging
- Illness could cause the animal to suffer considerably during transport and possibly die, e.g. because it cannot get enough air or its circulation fails
- Exception: Transport for veterinary treatment (in consultation with a vet)
The animal’s fitness for transport should be checked by the responsible persons in good time before loading. The following criteria indicate fitness for transport:
- An alert, responsive animal
- Moist mucous membranes
- Normal breathing
- good physical condition
- distributes weight evenly across all four legs when standing and walking, straight back
- no obvious signs of pain
Farmers and vets can use guidelines to decide whether an animal is fit for transport or not.
Recommended guides
- Guidance and advice on planning, preparing and carrying out short-distance animal transport: Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Animal Transport Project Group of the Lower Saxony Livestock Strategy – Animal Welfare Plan 4.0 (2022)
- North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture, Westfleisch SCE mbH (2019): Guidelines. Correctly assessing the transportability and slaughterability of cattle. Published by the Cattle Health Service of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Agriculture, Westfleisch SCE mbH.
- Eurogroup for Animals, UECBV, Animals’ Angels, ELT, FVE, IRU (2012): Practical guide to determining the transportability of adult cattle.
- For Switzerland: Federal Office for Food Safety of Sick and Injured Slaughter Animals & Association of Swiss Cantonal Veterinarians (2022): Guidelines: Assessment of the fitness for transport of sick and injured slaughter animals.