Transport is stressful for cattle of all ages. Possible co-mingling with a new group of calves, exposure to new pathogens, and loading, unloading and being in transit are all things animals must handle if they’re moving to a new farm location or are being shipped to market.
To ensure the best possible transportation experience, it’s essential that only healthy animals leave the farm. But how does one know if calves are fit to travel?
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has regulations for the humane transport of livestock. Those regulations – informed by a project funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative – can be helpful when shipping animals anywhere. Animals that are considered compromised or unfit can only be transported in special circumstances. A calf is compromised if it displays one or more of the conditions listed.
- Bloated but no signs of discomfort or weakness
- Acute frostbite
- Is still healing from a procedure such as castration or dehorning
- Shows signs of lameness other than what’s described as unfit (see below)
- Has a deformity or a fully healed amputation, but doesn’t show signs of pain from that condition
- Displays any other signs of infirmity, illness, injury or a condition that might make the calf less able to withstand the rigors of transport
A calf is unfit if it displays one or more of the conditions listed.
- Is non-ambulatory
- Has a fractured leg that prevents it from walking or causes it to show pain
- Is lame in one or more limb, showing pain, halted movements, reluctance to walk or can’t walk on all four legs
- Is in shock or dying
- Has labored breathing
- Has a severe open wound or laceration
- Is hobbled for treatment of an injury
- Is extremely thin, shows signs of dehydration, exhaustion, hypothermia or hyperthermia, or fever
- Has a hernia that hinders its movement, causes pain, touches the ground when the calf is standing, or has an open wound, ulceration or infection
- Has an unhealed and-or infected navel
- Has severe bloat that’s causing pain or weakness
- Has any other signs of infirmity, injury, illness or condition that can cause the calf to suffer during transport
Calves that are compromised can only be transported in isolation from other animals. They must be loaded and unloaded individually without having to walk a ramp, and they can’t be taken to an assembly yard or sales barn.
Unfit calves can only be transported at the recommendation of a veterinarian and only to a location where they will receive veterinary treatment.
New livestock transport regulations became effective in Canada in February 2020.
Calves may be transported for as many as 12 hours at a time as long as they aren’t subject to dehydration, starvation or exhaustion. After 12 hours in transit, they must be given feed, water and rest.
Calves eight days of age and younger may only be transported once and can’t be shipped to an assembly yard or sales barn.
