Temperature, relative humidity, and dew point of 6 commercial trailer compartments during summer transportations of beef calves in the mid-South

Abstract

ABSTRACT Improving animal welfare during transit may reduce morbidity and improve subsequent animal health. The objective of this study was to determine whether temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and temperature–relative humidity index differed among 4 compartments of a commercial trailer while transporting beef calves during the summer within the mid-South region. A temperature–relative humidity data logger was fastened to the ceiling of each trailer compartment during June and July for 12 loads of cattle (BW = 344.5 ± 96.60 kg, mean ± SD) transported 542.9 ± 408.38 km. Compartment temperatures averaged 31.6 ± 0.79°C and did not differ (P > 0.10). Relative humidity in the belly (64.1 ± 2.74%), tail (62.5 ± 2.74%), and bottom nose (62.1 ± 2.74%) were not different (P > 0.10), and all were greater than the top deck (58.5 ± 2.74%; P 0.10); however, they differed from the dew point in the tail compartment (23.4 ± 0.59°C; P 0.10) and averaged 82.1 ± 0.89. The percentage of time temperature–relative humidity index was in the danger and emergency categories was 93.9, 86.6, 84.2 and 68.3 ± 0.04% for the bottom nose, top deck, belly, and tail compartments, respectively (P