The problems with animal transport
Most animals in factory farms are transported at least once in their lifetime - to the slaughterhouse. Many animals are also transported from one breeding site to another. Transportation is a major source of stress and risk of injury for animals. Stresses include mixing with unfamiliar individuals during transport, severe cold or heat, congestion, truck oscillations and vibrations, and the unfamiliar environment. (1, 2) Loading and unloading are the most stressful for animals and are particularly stressful if the animals are mixed with unfamiliar animals. (3)
In the case of pigs, for example, long transport times lead to an increase in several signs of stress(4), but even two-hour transports on good ground lead to an increase in stress hormones in the blood (5).
When cattle are transported to slaughter, often only one or a few individuals from each farm are sent. This means that slaughter trucks travel around to several farms and make many stops to load new animals before being fully loaded and going to the slaughterhouse. The circumstances that are most stressful for cattle during transportation are loading and unloading, variations in speed and driving on curved and bumpy roads.(6) It is also very stressful when new, unfamiliar animals are loaded onto the truck. (6) These disturbances mean that animals often do not eat, drink or lie down during transportation. Long transport times can therefore be very stressful (7).
In the EU, generally the time for transporting animals to slaughter may not exceed eight hours within the country. But there are several derogations, including if borders are crossed. For birds, such as hens and chickens the transport time to the nearest slaughterhouse are often extended by a maximum of four hours.(8)
This means that up to twelve hours may pass from when a chicken or hen is packed into a transport cage until slaughter. During this time, the chicken or hen receives no food or water and the transport cage is so cramped that the animals cannot stand up and hardly move at all. The large number of birds releases moisture and heat, leading to a very stuffy and hot environment that is at its worst in the summer. If it is cold outside, birds may freeze to death during transportation. Many also die from injuries sustained during loading or transportation. Hundreds of thousands of chickens die during transportation, just in Sweden, every year. (9)
There are ways to reduce the number of animals who die during transportation. Shorter transports are one effective way. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a maximum transport time of four hours for birds reduces the risk of death. Mechanical ventilation of vehicles also reduces the risk of birds suffocating to death or dying from heat stroke. (1)