Transporters may reduce the transport of unfit cattle and pigs when the animals have greater economic value

Handling of cattle and pigs has definitely improved during the last twenty years. Have there been similar improvements in reducing the transport of unfit animals? Cull breeding cows and sows are a major category of unfit animals and a high percentage are either lame or have full udders. Programs where cull cows are fattened may increase their value and reduce transport of unfit animals. Neonatal bull dairy calves may also be unfit for transport because they are often only one to four days old. Beef on dairy programs, where Holstein dairy cows are bred to beef bulls, provides a high value beef animal. This may improve calf welfare because fewer neonatal calves may be transported directly to slaughter or killed on the farm. Animals that have low economic value may be more likely to be unfit for transport. Increasing the economic value of cull breeding animals and neonatal calves may provide an economic incentive to reduce transport of unfit animals. Pork producers have reduced death losses due to PSS (Porcine Stress Syndrome) in pigs with selective breeding. Cattle producers need to correct increasing problems with congestive heart failure and hoof abnormalities that can cause lameness. Both conditions have a strong genetic basis. Another problem that needs to be corrected is transportation of unvaccinated of cattle to feedlots. Innovative marketing programs may provide an economic incentive to vaccinate these animals to prevent sickness.