Effect of driver behaviour, driving events and road type on the stability and resting behaviour of sheep in transit

Abstract

The aim of this project was to examine the relationships between driver behaviour and driving events during a journey and the behavioural responses of sheep to these events. Driving style can have a major influence on the welfare of the animals by affecting the risk of injury and by disturbing the ability of the sheep to rest. Two drivers each drove groups of 10 sheep in a 5·5-tonne, single-deck, non-articulated livestock vehicle on five 7-h road journeys consisting of minor roads, main single carriageways and a motorway. The driver, the driver’s view through the windscreen, the speedometer and the sheep were video recorded. Differences in driving style were identified as differences in vehicle speed, rapid braking and the number of corners taken with high cornering g-force. Differences in driving style had a slight effect on the frequency of losses of balance by the sheep and a more significant effect on the degree of disturbance to the sheep and on their ability to rest during the journey. Losses of balance were common, but falls were rare. About 80% of the losses of balance could have been caused by driving events, such as acceleration, braking, stopping, cornering, gear changes and uneven road surfaces. Only about 22% of driving events were followed by a loss of balance. It is likely that driving events were also responsible for many interruptions to both lying behaviour and rumination. Clear benefits of motorway driving compared with single carriageway driving were fewer losses of balance, more lying down, more rumination and fewer disturbances amongst the sheep. This study provides evidence that would be useful for driver training and education to promote careful driving as a means of ensuring the welfare of animals in-transit. The quality of the journey experienced by sheep during transport is dependent upon a number of factors that can be influenced by the driver of the vehicle.

Effects of the different transport phases on equine health status, behavior, and welfare: A review

“…Driver 500 behavior and road quality (motorway vs. minor road vs. city traffic) affect the behavior of transported 501 animals as has been shown for sheep (Cockram et al, 2004), cattle, young calves and pigs (Cockram 502 and Spence, 2012). In horses, heart rate seems to be highly correlated with muscular activity spent in 503 balance preservation, and both are strongly affected by the degree of experience of the driver.…”

Effect of the pre-slaughter logistic chain on some indicators of welfare in lambs

“…Several of the stressors that affect the welfare of sheep and lambs have been studied (Knowles et al, 1995), including loading and unloading (Parrott et al, 1998), novel environments (Cockram et al, 2000), transport and lairage (Ibáñez et al, 2002), space requirements (Buchenauer, 1997), environmental conditions (Knowles et al, 1998), driver qualifications (Fisher et al, 2005) and road conditions (Cockram et al, 2004). However, less is known about the effect of CCs on animal welfare and meat quality.…”

Current practices on sheep and beef farms in New Zealand for depriving sheep of feed prior to transport for slaughter

“…Some aspects of the behaviour of sheep during transport and in lairage have been described (Jarvis and Cockram 1995;Cockram et al 2004) but there are no studies investigating the effects of the duration of pre-transport fasting. The usual priority of sheep following transportation is to feed, then drink as a consequence of feeding if it is high dry matter feed, and only later lie down (Cockram et al 1999).…”