Code of Practice for Welfare of Farm Animals During Transportation		AG0004
Bureau of Animal Welfare, Attwood January 2002
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Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986
Variation approved by the Governor in Council 25 May 1999
Issued by the Minister for Agriculture.

1. Introduction

This Code of Practice is intended as a guide for people who are involved in transporting livestock. It emphasises the responsibilities of the owner of the animals (or his agent) and of the driver, attendant or the appropriate railway official. It is intended to encourage the efficient, considerate treatment of animals and birds so that transport, stress and injury are minimised at all stages of the transport operation. Transportation by road and rail requires careful planning to reduce any adverse effects on animals. The selection, handling and preparation of animals should be undertaken or supervised by competent stockmen.

Persons organising the transport of animals should contact the local office of the Department of Primary Industries well in advance of the movement to ascertain any requirements for health certification and welfare of the animals. This will ensure that approvals and documentation are completed before the planned commencement of the journey, thereby minimising delays that may affect the well-being of the animals.

Animals being transported by road and rail are subjected to a number of stresses which may have cumulative effects.

Stressful influences may include:

yarding and handling deprivation of food and water changes in climatic conditions overcrowding or isolation, unfamiliar surroundings, noises and sensations insufficient care during transportation physiological responses associated with pregnancy.

For the purpose of this Code, transport includes loading, waiting periods during loading, transit, rest periods and unloading at the point of destination. Transporters have a responsibility to get animals to their destination as speedily as possible, within the confines of legal requirements, and to minimise any adverse effects on the animals.

The driver of the road transport vehicle or the railway authorities are responsible for the care and welfare of all animals during transport except when either an attendant appointed by the owner or an agent of the owner travels with the consignment.

The possibility of either injury or illness to the animals should be reduced to a minimum during road or rail transportation.

This Code is based on knowledge and technology available at the time of publication and may need to be varied in the light of new knowledge. This Code places a high priority on methods of minimising the adverse effects of rail transport on the welfare of animals.

The welfare of animals transported by rail will be safeguarded provided there is a clear understanding and acceptance of responsibilities by the owner/agent and railway staff during the whole process of transport.

The owner/agent should be responsible for:

careful selection, loading and unloading of animals; dealing with injured stock or other emergencies then notified by the railway authority; supplying stockfood at rest stops or in transit; providing a train drover to care for larger consignments of stock, or to care on a share basis for several small consignments. The railway authority should be responsible for: providing well maintained carriages and loading ramps; ensuring the provision of careful train driving; inspecting livestock during transport (if a drover is not present) and either correcting problems or advising the owner/agent if emergency action is required.

Good management and careful driving are important to the welfare of animals carried by road.

Part 1 - General provisions

2. Assembly and selection of stock for transport

2.1 Assembly of stock
Animals may be stressed by mustering, but affected are those which are not accustomed to handling, pregnant females, young or old animals, and certain breeds. A rest period of at least 12 hours is beneficial for excitable animals such as cattle mustered by helicopter or light plane. This will reduce stress during subsequent transportation.

Stock brought to loading and handling facilities at rail-heads should be travelled as quickly and with as much care as possible, so that they are in good physical condition for rail transport. Injury during loading and road transportation will weaken stock and make them more likely to collapse during rail transport.
Assembly yards should be provided with sufficient drinkable water to cater for the number of stock to be handled. The water should be provided in troughs so that all ages and classes of stock can drink.

If animals are to remain in yards for more than 24 hours before loading, or if animals are to travel for 24 hours or more, feed as well as water should be provided.
Shelter from heat, wind and cold is not considered necessary for sheep, cattle, horses and goats except in extreme climates. Pigs are more susceptible to temperature stress; shelter and a supply of cool drinkable water should be provided.

2.2 Selection of stock
The owner or his agent has a responsibility to select only fit and healthy animals for travel. Rejections would include sick, injured or weak animals, and females in late pregnancy. Exceptions to the above recommendations are:

animals that are either ill or injured and which must be transported to and from a place for veterinary treatment; animals being transported a short distance to a place for emergency humane destruction; salvage operations, for example, from a drought area. Only those animals judged to be capable of surviving the journey should be transported.

Humane and effective arrangements should be made by the owner or his agent for the handling and care of animals rejected as unsuitable for loading. Such arrangements may include humane destruction. Recommended methods for the humane destruction of cattle, sheep, goats and deer are given in section 11.

Certain classes of stock, for example calves and adult cattle, should be transported in separate vehicles. Alternatively, they may be transported in the same vehicle if they are separated by partitioning. Further details are given in section 10.

3. Recommended standards for transport vehicles

Transport vehicles or railway wagons should be as clean as practicable when presented for loading. There should be no protrusions or sharp edges capable of injuring animals on the framework, doorways, floors or partitions. Hinges and latches should not project into the pathway of animals. Gates should operate smoothly and retract fully from the pathway of animals. Gates should not be susceptible to jamming due to impact by animals or due to transit shock and vibration. Gates should be clearly visible to animals when shut; this can be achieved by providing a "sight board" for adequate visibility. Internal sheeting of the sides should be smooth and have a large area of contact with animals to eliminate pressure points and reduce bruising.

Deck height should be sufficient for the type of animals being carried to stand without contacting overhead structures. The floor of the vehicle or railway wagon should be made of a non-slip material that can be easily repaired and that will not injure the hooves or legs of animals. The deck structure of multi-deck vehicles or railway wagons should be constructed to minimise soiling of animals on the lower decks. The spacing of the side rails should prevent animals from jamming their heads and legs between rails. The sides of the vehicle should be high enough to prevent animals escaping.

The materials used in the construction of transport vehicles should be of a type that can be effectively cleaned. Partitions and secure fittings to suit the design of the stock crate should be available to prevent overcrowding and jolting. During road transport the exhaust system of the road vehicle should not pollute the air inside the stock crate. Consideration should be given to the suitability of roofed railway wagons in areas where extremes of temperature and humidity are common. Railway authorities should establish effective liaison with experts on animal husbandry and welfare and consult routinely on the design, construction and state of repair of existing or new rolling stock, stock assembly yards, and other facilities to ensure that they minimise stress and bruising of stock.

4. Design and construction to ramps and holding yards

Loading facilities should be constructed so that they are unlikely to cause injury to animals. The ramp should be wide enough to allow for the hips of mature animals.
A flat area at the top of the ramp not less than 1 metre in length assists loading and unloading of animals. This platform should be approximately at the same level as the stock crate floor or railway wagon floor. A slope of 1 in 3 (about 20 degrees) is recommended for permanently installed ramps. The surface should be made of a non-slip material with either cross-cleats or, if concrete, a suitably cross-grooved pattern or steps to provide a good grip when the ramp is wet. Portable or adjustable ramps should have a slope of not more than 1 in 2 (about 27 degrees) and they should be equipped with anchoring devices.

The inner rails should be smooth with no sharp projections which may injure animals. Provision of a removable bottom rail is a useful measure. Provision of a walkway on the outside of the ramp for use by an attendant will facilitate stock movement. Filler boards or flaps should be used to cover any gap between the loading ramp and the floor of the stock crate. The importance of Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) in remote areas should be recognised by authorities responsible for them. Their numbers should not be reduced where long distances must be travelled by stock. All TSRs should be clearly identifiable and drinking water should be available in all paddocks at all times.

5. Loading and unloading

5. 1 Loading of animals
Planning the loading procedure well in advance will allow adequate time for stock to be loaded quietly and with care. Animals should be loaded in a way that does not cause them injury. Artificial lighting to illuminate the loading ramp is desirable for loading at night.

Methods of assisting loading include:

making use of the behavioural and group characteristics of particular species; electric prods; these should be powered only by battery or dynamo and should be of a type approved by the Australian Standards Association. Their use should be restricted to the minimum necessary to complete loading. The continual prodding of animals that have little or no room to move should not be permitted. They should not be used on horses or young animals; "flappers" (a length of cane with a short strap of leather or canvas attached) or "metallic rattles" are ideal in that they encourage movement in response to sound. The use of sticks, lengths of heavy plastic, metal piping or heavy leather belts should not be permitted as methods of encouraging stock to move; well-trained dogs are useful to assist loading of stock, but those which bite should be either muzzled or not permitted to work. The number of dogs used should be strictly limited to that necessary to complete the task.

During loading, the stock crate's door or railway wagon door needs to be properly aligned with the loading race to ensure the smooth movement of stock and to minimise bruising. For rail transport, proper alignment is probably easiest when the train guard and driver are in contact by two-way radio, and this may also reduce the amount of jolting associated with shunting.

In rail transport, stock railway wagons should be placed close to the front of the train. Goods vans should not be placed between stock wagons. Different animal species, for example sheep and goats, should not be mixed during transport. Loading should be supervised by experienced stockmen. Supervisors should ensure that spectators do not interfere with the smooth loading of animals. Animals should not be lifted off the ground by the head, horns, legs or wool during loading or unloading.

For rail transport the drover or guard, and for road transport the driver or attendant, should be provided with the name and phone number of the owner/agent of stock being transported in case of delays or injuries to animal requiring emergency decisions or actions. Animals of different species and ages require different amounts of floor space. Guidelines on space allowances are given in Section 8.

Where possible, road transport vehicles should be loaded and unloaded from the rear rather than through the side. Alternatively, V-shaped doorways may be used. Both will help reduce the bruising which may occur when stock strike the door frame while making the 90-degree turn into or from the stock crate.

During road transport working dogs should not be transported in the stock crate with livestock. Not only does this practice cause extreme psychological stress to animals, but it greatly decreases space allowances due to crowding and creates an opportunity for dogs to interfere with stock.

Dogs should be transported out of the sight of stock, in the vehicle cabin with the driver, or in a suitably designed and ventilated kennel elsewhere on the vehicle.

5.2 Unloading of animals
Similar requirements to those listed under "Loading of animals" should apply to the unloading of stock, recognising that they are more stressed at the end of the journey. Animals should be unloaded as soon as possible after arrival at the destination. Injuries to stock will be reduced if they are given the opportunity to walk quietly off the vehicle or wagon. All stock should be given access to water when unloaded. Animals to be held in yards for 24 hours or more should also be provided with food. At the destination there should be facilities for the humane unloading or slaughter of animals that may be unable to walk off because of injury or exhaustion.

6. In-transit inspection

During road transport inspection of animals should be carried out by either the driver or attendant, at roadside, not later than 30 minutes after commencement of the journey, and thereafter at intervals of at least every two hours. Rail authorities should encourage the employment of train drovers by owners/agents by pointing out the lower loss rates compared with unaccompanied trains and that pro-rata cost sharing arrangements may be made with owners of other stock on the train.

To enable in-transit inspection of stock, rail drovers should accompany journeys of greater than 12 hours duration. Drovers should also accompany consignments of stock in poor physical condition, where females in advanced pregnancy are known to be carried, or where stock are known to be more susceptible to stress for other reasons.

Drovers should:

be conscientious persons of considerable experience in handling stock; be required to complete trip reports; have authority to delay trains and attend to livestock.

Studies have shown that the frequency of stops has a direct bearing on the number of injuries animals suffer. The number of stops in-transit should be kept to a minimum, and inspections should be made only when stops occur. To enable inspections at night a powerful torch should be available. If there are no scheduled stops, the frequency of special inspection stops should be based on experience.

Station Masters should immediately report to their Area Traffic Supervisor every instance where a train containing livestock is delayed at their station. The Supervisor should be given special duties and powers to minimise delays to stock trains. Any animal found to be down, injured, distressed or with a limb protruding should be given immediate assistance by the driver attendant, drover or guard. Every effort should be made to get cast animals to their feet. Veterinary, police or RSPCA assistance should be sought as soon as possible for distressed or severely injured animals. If necessary, they should be humanely destroyed without delay according to recommendations in Section 11. A suitable source of lighting should be available to carry out inspections at night.

7. Duration of journey and rest stops

As stated in the Introduction, animals being transported are subjected to a number of stresses that may have cumulative effects. Unloading and loading impose some stress on animals. Rest stops extend the total time of the journey and subject animals to unfamiliar surroundings. Thus it should be recognised that unloading and loading of animals for rest stops may impose a greater stress than continuing the journey for a limited period of time. After each 24 hours of travel, a rest period of between 12 and 24 hours should be provided for all immature ruminants (under three months of age). The period of travel for these animals may be extended to 36 hours if a full 24-hour rest period is provided before the next stage of the journey is commenced. In the case of mature ruminant animals (sheep, cattle, goats and buffalo), a rest period of between 12 and 24 hours should be provided after each 36 hours of travel. The period of travel may be extended to 48 hours if a full 24-hour rest period is then provided.

During the rest period, the animals should be:

unloaded; have access to food and water; have enough space for exercise and rest.

Animals transported singly or in small groups by road transport, and fed and watered in transit, should be unloaded and exercised every 36 hours if there is not enough room in the vehicle for them to lie down.

Guidelines on food and water requirements of livestock during transport are presented in Section 9. All journeys with animals should be completed as quickly as possible, within limits imposed by rest stops and road safety. Separate recommendations for deer are presented in Section 10.

Care should be taken to avoid prolonged deprivation of feed and water when animals are unloaded after being transported and then reloaded for a further journey. A calculation should be made of the total period of deprivation of feed and water from the time of initial loading until unloading at the end of the second journey. If this period exceeds 24 hours special arrangements to feed and water the animals during the holding period should be made in order to reduce stress and dehydration. This sequence of events is relatively common for animals transported to saleyards and then forwarded to the property of the new owner.

Part 2 - Special provisions

8. Recommended loading density during transport

Packing of animals either too loosely or too tightly in stock crates predisposes them to injury; partitions should be used to reduce the likelihood of injury. The density of loading of animals in stock crates should be determined by the need to minimise injury but allow cast animals to rise with assistance. During rail transport the owner/agent in conjunction with the appropriate railway official is responsible for ensuring that the load density and configuration are compatible with the welfare of the animals and the capacity of the wagon. During road transport the driver is responsible for ensuring that the loading density and penning arrangements are compatible with the welfare of the animals and the capacity of the vehicle.

8. 1 Cattle
Use for cattle with horns or tipped horns; for cattle without horns decrease the space allowance by 5%.

Average weight (kg)	Floor area (m2/head)	Number of head per 12.2 m (40 ft) deck (Road Transport)
250	0.70	42
300	0.74	40
350	0.78	38
400	0.87	34
450	0.99	30
500	1.06	28
550	1.14	26
600	1.23	24
650	1.35	22

8.2 Calves
Applies to all cattle in the 100 to 200 kg weight range.

Average weight (kg)	Floor area (m2/head)	Number of head per 12.2 m (40 ft) deck (Road Transport)
100	0.34	80
125	0.39	76
150	0.47	62
175	0.55	54
200	0.61	48

8.3 Sheep
Calculations of sheep numbers per deck have been based on animals in half-wool. When transporting full-wool sheep it is suggested that space allowance be increased by up to 15%.

Average weight (kg)	Floor area (m2/head)	Number of head per 12.2 m (40 ft) deck (Road Transport)
20	0.17	170
30	0.19	150
40	0.22	130
50	0.27	110
60	0.29	100

8.4 Goats
Recommendations for domesticated goats are similar to those for sheep.

8.5 Deer
As a guide, for journeys over two hours duration, the minimum floor space allocated for adult male deer in transport crates should be:

0.5 m2 for Fallow deer 0.7 m2 for Rusa deer 1.0 m2 for Red deer.

Female deer should be allocated at least 75% of the area required by males. For journeys over 24 hours the allocated space should be increased by at least 20%.

9. Guidelines on the food and water requirements of livestock

Class of Stock (Adults)	Water* (litres/head/day)	Feed** (kg/head/day)
Horses	25	6
Cattle	45	5
Sheep & Goats	4	1
Pigs	5	2

(Conversion factor: 1.0 litre = 0.22 gal: 1.0 kg = 2.2 lb)
*Extremely hot weather (greater than 40°C) may double the figures.
** The food suggested is good quality hay for cattle, horses, sheep and goats, and a proprietary grower ration for pigs.

10. Special requirements of stock

This section contains recommendations on the special welfare requirements of cattle, sheep, goats and deer during road transport. The recommendations supplement those made elsewhere in this Code. Recommended stocking densities for each species during transportation are given in Section 8. Recommended food and water allowances for stock are given in Section 9.

10.1 Cattle
It is recommended that the following classes be transported or penned separately:

polled cattle; young calves; a cow with a suckling calf; hornless cattle; adult bulls; cattle greatly different in size; females in advanced stages of pregnancy.

Lactating dairy cows in full production and without calves at foot should be milked at intervals not exceeding 24 hours. When bulls are haltered and tied within the stock crate, or to wagon or stall, the head rope should not be fitted through a nose ring. Calves should be strong enough to withstand the stresses of transportation. They should be transported in vehicles with enclosed fronts or in enclosed rail wagons to prevent wind-chill. Calves weighing less than 23 kg, or those with wet umbilical cords, should not be presented for transport. Cows more than eight months pregnant should not be transported for journeys taking longer than eight hours due to the increased risk of metabolic disease and injury. They should be offered food and water as soon as possible after arrival at the destination .

10.2 Sheep
It is recommended that the following classes be transported or penned separately:

sheep that differ greatly in size; ewes and sucker lambs; ewes in advanced stages of pregnancy; rams.

Newborn lambs and newly shorn sheep are particularly susceptible to wind-chill and should be transported in vehicles with enclosed fronts or in enclosed rail wagons.
Ewes that are more than four months pregnant should not be transported on journeys taking longer than eight hours; pregnant ewes should be offered food and water as soon as possible following arrival at the destination

10.3 Goats
Recommendations for domesticated goats are similar to those for sheep.

10.4 Deer
It is recommended that the following classes be transported or penned separately:

deer of different species; stags/bucks; hinds/does; young animals.

Deer should not be transported for more than 24 hours without water or for more than 36 hours without food. Deer should be allowed a rest period of six hours after each 24 hours of travel. It is not necessary to unload deer during rest periods. When deer are transported on rough roads, these rest periods may be increased in frequency and duration. It is strongly recommended that deer be accompanied by an experienced attendant during rail transport.

Alternatively, arrangements should be made for them to be inspected at scheduled stops. Deer due to calve within one month or with young at foot less than one month of age should not be transported except for the welfare of the deer in an emergency. Male deer with antlers in velvet should not be transported. Male deer with hard antlers should be transported separately from other deer. Deer should be transported under conditions of subdued lighting, for example at night, or an enclosed well ventilated vehicle or goods wagon. Under such conditions deer are less likely to incur trauma or develop transport stress.

Adequate ventilation through light-proof vents is essential in enclosed vehicles or wagons to remove fumes from excreta and to control temperature. Deer should not be transported when the ambient air temperature in the shade exceeds 30°C or when the temperature inside the crate exceeds 35°C. If the deer show signs of heat stress or dehydration (panting, dry mouth, reduced response to normal stimuli) the crate should be placed in the shade and/or the deer hosed with cold water.

11. Humane destruction of stock

Previous sections of this Code have drawn attention to those circumstances in which stock may need to be humanely destroyed. For example, following serious illness or injury during transport . Although this task is aesthetically unpleasant to most people the method of slaughter should be effective and cause sudden and painless death for the animal. It is equally important that the animal be handled quietly beforehand to ensure it is not unnecessarily distressed or alarmed. The methods recommended hereunder are those which are considered the most suitable for use during transport of livestock.

11.1 Use of the firearm
The most efficient and widely available method of humanely destroying farm livestock during transport is a gunshot to the brain from a close range. There may however, be legal restrictions on the use of firearms on public roads. Under those circumstances assistance should be sought from veterinary practitioners, the RSPCA or the Police.

The following aspects of firearms safety should be borne in mind:

A .22 calibre rifle or a .32 calibre humane killer pistol is adequate for humane destruction of most animals; Any use of firearms is potentially hazardous; Persons other than the marksman and a handler for the animal should be cleared from the area or should stand well behind the marksman; Never fire while the animal is moving its head; wait patiently for a quiet interval before firing; To provide maximum impact and the least possibility of misdirection the range should be as short as circumstances permit; The humane killer pistol and captive-bolt pistol are designed to be pressed firmly on the head prior to being discharged. It is not safe to do this with a standard rifle or pistol.

11.2 Use of the captive-bolt pistol
An alternative to the firearm is to use a captive-bolt pistol, which is safer since a blank cartridge is used. The operator does not have to be a marksman as the instrument's muzzle is firmly pressed against the skull before firing. It must, however, be assumed that the animal has only been stunned and a follow-up method of ensuring death, such as bleeding out, is required.

Blank cartridges for the captive-bolt pistol are colour-coded according to the amount of charge they contain. For best results the manufacturer's recommendations should be followed on the most appropriate blank cartridges for different farm animals. Regular maintenance of the captive-bolt pistol is essential for efficient stunning.

11.3 Special requirements of stock

11.3.1 Cattle
Frontal method: The captive-bolt pistol or firearm should be directed at the point of intersection of lines taken from the base of each ear to the opposite eye (see figure 1).