Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
7th INTERNATIONAL СUKUROVA AGRICULTURE and VETERINARY CONGRESS , Adana, Türkiye, 9 - 10 Mart 2024, ss.958-975
The transportation of cattle, which can be carried out by land, train, sea and air for the purposes of buying, selling, slaughtering, exhibitions, fair shows, grazing, treatment, etc., has become a routine management practice in recent years. Nowadays, road transportation has become more attractive compared to other methods, and it is known that the majority of animals raised in a modern cattle enterprise are transported from one place to another at least once by this method. This process, which is not in the nature of animals, creates fear and stress because it exposes them to environments and populations they are not accustomed to. Various factors such as vehicle design, driver's experience, loading density, road condition and distance, break time, meeting the water and food needs of the animals, climate, age and gender stand out among the stress sources that may occur during road transportation of cattle. Transports performed under inappropriate conditions create a number of physiological and morphological changes, negatively affecting both animal welfare and health. This causes a decrease in carcass quality, live weight loss and even death. Although it is not possible to completely eliminate the stress that will occur during transportation procedures; a number of legal regulations have been introduced, the rules, measures and restrictions of which may vary from country to country. The main purpose of all these regulations is to increase animal welfare in transportation procedures. It is important to minimize the stress that will occur by improving the management conditions related to transportation operations, to take the necessary precautions in accordance with current laws and regulations, to improve welfare and meat quality and to reduce economic losses.