Alberta Milk has a new guide for assessing if a cull cow can be shipped.

“Regardless of whose care the animal may pass through, it is ultimately the producer who is held accountable should one of their animals be deemed to have been transported inappropriately,” the organization said in its most recent monthly newsletter.

One page of the two-page guide has a “decision tree” that identifies potential risk factors when considering an animal’s fitness for transport, including body condition score, lactation status, lameness, and injury identification. The other page lists “acceptable locations” where an unfit or compromised cow can be sent for slaughter.

The fact sheet can be found as a PDF at the Alberta Milk website.