The results of a four-year animal transport research study, funded in part by Alberta Beef Producers, suggest the most important animal welfare factor in transport may be conditioning before they get on the truck.
Researchers found that rest stops had minimal impact on animal welfare. The biggest difference was in conditioned versus non-conditioned calves.
In the study, conditioned calves were weaned, vaccinated and adapted to a backgrounding diet for 18 to 26 days before the study started, while non-conditioned calves were weaned and loaded.
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Researchers looked for indicators of reduced welfare based on both physiological and behavioural factors.
