Livestock transport from the perspective of the pre-slaughter logistic chain: a review.
New developments in livestock transport within the pre-slaughter chain are discussed in terms of three logistic nodes: origin, stopovers and slaughterhouse. Factors as transport cost, haulier, truck specifications, micro-environment conditions, loading density, route planning, vehicle accidents and journey length are discussed as well as causes of morbidity, mortality, live weight and carcass damage. Taking into account current trends towards increased transport times, logistics stopovers and mixed transport, there is a need to develop systems of evaluation and decision-making that provide tools and protocols that can minimize the biological cost to animals, which may have been underestimated in the past.
Department of Agri-Food Science, Metropolitan Autonomous University-Unit Lerma, State of Mexico, Mexico. Electronic address: g.miranda@correo.ler.uam.mx.
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Miranda-de la Lama
Department of Animal Science, E.T.S.I.A. Polytechnic University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Villarroel
Department of Animal Production and Food Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zaragoza, Spain.
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María
D000003:Abattoirs; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002417:Cattle; D058751:Livestock; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic; D013552:Swine; D014186:Transportation / Q000379:methods*
Animal welfare; Cattle; Pig; Pre-slaughter logistics chain; Sheep; Transport