Abstract
The transport of weaned calves from cow–calf producers to fatteners is a general concern for the young bull industry due to its documented negative impact on the welfare, health and performance of the animals. These transfers are often managed by intermediaries who transport weaned calves to sorting centres, where they are grouped into batches before being sent to fattening units. In this study, we present an algorithm to limiting these transfer distances by appropriately selecting the sorting centre through which they must go. We tested the effectiveness of this algorithm on historical data from a French beef producer organization managing 136,892 transfers using 13 sorting centres. The results show a decrease in the transfer distances compared to the historical record, especially for the calves travelling over long distances (− 76 km, i.e. 18% on average for the 33% longest transfers). Moreover, the distribution of calves between the sorting centres proposed by the algorithm reveals differences in their efficiency in minimizing transfer distances. In addition to its usefulness as a management tool for the daily transport of cattle, this algorithm provides prospects for improving the management of the sorting centres themselves.
Highlights
The transport of weaned calves from cow–calf producers to fatteners is a general concern for the young bull industry due to its documented negative impact on the welfare, health and performance of the animals
In addition to the risks of disease transmission inherent in any commercial movement of animals between holdings[4], transport itself raises issues concerning the welfare and health of livestock. These transfers can generate stress in livestock, both physiological or p sychological[5,6,7], with more detrimental effects on the animals as the transport distance increases[8,9,10]. These concerns are paramount for the young bull industry, because an important proportion of weaned beef calves are transported between farms during their lives
Transport distance has been identified as a factor increasing the incidence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) during this critical period[8,14,17], which has a negative impact on the performance of animals during
Summary
The transport of weaned calves from cow–calf producers to fatteners is a general concern for the young bull industry due to its documented negative impact on the welfare, health and performance of the animals. These transfers are often managed by intermediaries who transport weaned calves to sorting centres, where they are grouped into batches before being sent to fattening units. Cow–calf producers are usually in pasture-based systems in rural areas of Central France, while fatteners are located in regions with intensive crop production, such as North-western France Since these two facets of the beef cattle industry are managed in different locations, calves are moved, potentially over long distances. Reducing transport distances of weaned calves before fattening could have direct and indirect repercussion on their survival and performance
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