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Physiological responses of
food animals to road transportation stress
N. S. Minka1*
and J. O. Ayo2
1College
of Agriculture and Animal Science, Ahmadu Bello University,
Mando - Kaduna, Nigeria.
2Department
of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, Nigeria.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
mnsalka@yahoo.com.
Accepted 17 December, 2009 |
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The increasing demand in proteins to feed the ever-growing
world population has necessitated the industrialization and
transportation of livestock using different means of
transportation across several ecological zones with
different climatic conditions. The stress factors acting on
animals during road transportation are numerous and the
responses of the animal to them are complex, non-specific
and often detrimental to their health and productivity. In
spite of the numerous recommendations and guidelines by many
countries on the welfare of animal transport order and their
streaked compliance by transporters, several studies still
report severe welfare problems during road transportation of
food animals. This review, in a new approach examines the
effects of individual or the combination of road transport
stress factors, such as: handling, loading, unloading,
vehicle type and design, type of road and driving methods,
vehicle noise and vibration, stocking rate/density, journey
duration, climatic conditions and the general animal welfare
implication on different physiological parameters of
transported food animals. The review provides an insight on
the physiological responses of animals to transport stress
and possible areas of intervention and adoption of improved
and innovative management strategies toward improving the
welfare of the transported animals.
Key
words:
Animal welfare, food animal, stress, road transportation. |
