Page 151 - The Welfare of Cattle

128 the WeLfare of CattLe

interpretation of the law included livestock trailers. The USDA is responsible for enforcement of
the 28-hour law through a joint effort by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Specifically, the 28-hour law mandates that “a
rail carrier, express carrier, or common carrier (except by air or water), a receiver, trustee, or lessee
of one of those carriers, or an owner or master of a vessel transporting animals from a place in a
State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the United States through or to a place
in another State, the District of Columbia, or a territory or possession, may not confine animals in
a vehicle or vessel for more than 28 consecutive hours without unloading the animals for feeding,
water, and rest.” The 28-hour law also requires that, “Animals being transported shall be unloaded
in a humane way into pens equipped for feeding, water, and rest for at least 5 consecutive hours.”

traNSPOrtatION ChaLLeNGeS

Most cattle have limited experience with the transportation process. As a result, loading
facilities, transportation containers, and receiving facilities must be designed and maintained to
support a safe and minimally stressful experience for the animals. The physical condition of each
animal, the ambient weather conditions, and the quality of the driving of the transport container are
all substantial factors in the overall transport experience by farm animals.
In general, the most challenging population of cattle to transport is mature former breeding
stock with preexisting health and welfare deficiencies. This population of cattle requires additional
care and caution during all phases of handling prior to slaughter. The first step that many cattle deal-
ers and transporters take is sorting the injured and high-risk cattle from the rest of the group. Those
high-risk animals are the last animals that are loaded onto semi-trailers. They will occupy the com-
partment within the trailer that is closest to the door. This compartment is commonly referred to
as the “tail.” The tail of the trailer is often bedded with wood shavings or straw to provide traction,
absorb urine, and promote rest by lying down. The stocking density in the tail is often reduced to
allow compromised cattle space to lie down comfortably and lunge to get up.
It is not customary or common for transporters to apply bedding to compartments other than
the tail. For most transport distances, the objective is to keep cattle standing due to the potential
for animals to be trampled and injured if they lay down while the majority of others are standing.

POSt-traNSPOrtatION haNDLING

The process of loading livestock trailers is typically performed by the truck driver with assis-
tance by farm or ranch personnel. At the point of unloading, the truck driver may not be as involved
with movement of animals off of the trailer. Several U.S. slaughter establishments have developed
policies that deter transporters from handling animals on their premise to reduce the risk of inhu-
mane handling by untrained drivers. The FSIS clarified the way in which enforcement action should
be initiated and provided specific examples of the types of behavior that would result in agency
action in Directive 6900.2 Revision 2. Ultimately, the decision to allow truck drivers to participate
in the loading and unloading of their trucks is under the discretion of the shippers and receivers of
the loads of animals. Some slaughter establishments have invested in training the truck drivers that
bring cattle to them and require training for all new truck drivers as well.

LaIraGe

Lairage refers to the holding pens where animals are kept prior to slaughter. This step in the pre-
slaughter handling process is important to allow animals to recover from transportation stress. The