Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of

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Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of livestock 13 Segmented markets and piecework Livestock marketing systems that have one or more agents between the producer and slaughter plant will usually result in more damage to livestock than market systems where animals are sold directly from the producer to slaughter plant or butcher. There are two reasons for this: • First of all, the agents or middlemen have little incentive to ensure that damage to livestock is kept to a minimum; • Secondly every time an animal is handled by a different middleman, it increases the likelihood of injury and stress. Animals taken to an auction before moving to the slaughterhouse will have to be loaded and unloaded an extra time. Payment systems for people handling animals can greatly affect the way the animals are treated. Handling animals on a “piece work” basis provides the incentive for handling animals as fast as possible. This encourages abuse and reduces care. Producers have found that paying truck-loading workers on an incentive basis to reduce damages greatly reduced losses. In conclusion, it should be emphasised that appropriately changing payment and marketing systems is one of the best methods for reducing livestock damage and improving animal welfare during handling and transport. Anyone, who causes an animal to become injured, damaged, bruised or die must be held economically accountable for the losses.
Guidelines for humane handling, transport and slaughter of livestock 15 CHAPTER 4 PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR Livestock behave in various ways, depending on circumstances and, to a large extent, species. A basic understanding of animal behaviour in typical circumstances from the farm to the market or slaughterhouse will assist handlers in the management of livestock and thereby prevent undue stress and injury. For example, animals, which are unaccustomed to frequent contact with humans, such as ranched or extensively raised stock, will not allow people to approach or touch them easily. These animals will require more elaborate loading ramps, pens and handling races than tame ones. People loading extensively raised animals need to understand the psychology of the animal in order to prevent injury to either the animal or themselves. On the other hand, oxen, draught animals, those animals raised intensively or dipped regularly (for tick control) and animals living in close contact with humans, such as in rural areas, are generally more tame and easy to handle. Relation of animal vision, hearing and smell to stress and injury Ruminant animals can discriminate between different colours. The ruminant eye is most sensitive to yellow-green and blue light. Experience has shown that livestock, particularly cattle and pigs, as well as ostriches, are very sensitive to light contrast. This causes them to hesitate at and shy away from drains, gates, and changes from wet to dry or concrete to metal floors. Lighting should be even and diffuse and harsh contrasts of light and dark should be avoided. Ultraviolet or diffuse light has a calming effect on poultry and ostriches.
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