Mortality of Beef Cattle During Long-Distance Transport by Ship or Truck

Patagonia in the far south of Chile is used as a breeding ground for cattle, which are then transported north for their final stages of growth before being killed for meat. The objective of this study was to compare mortality in beef cattle exposed to two different types of long-distance transport: by ship, using a roll-on/roll-off system, or by truck. Data from a major transport company were used to compare the mortality risks for calves and older cattle when conveyed by sea or road from southern to central Chile journeys of four and two days, respectively. Mortality was higher for both calves and older cattle traveling by sea than those traveling by road, but when the data was corrected for journey duration, mortality/day was greater for those traveling by road. Mortality was increased at high stocking densities and, for older cattle, winter was a high-risk season, compared with summer. Mortality was also higher for calves than older cattle. The results identify the greatest risks of mortality over the two routes to facilitate reform of the transport processes so that cattle welfare is improved.