Mortalities in bobby calves associated with long distance transport
Abstract
Objective To investigate how distance of transportation and time of year affects mortality of bobby calves. Method The overall mortality of bobby calves transported by road to an abattoir in Northern Victoria was investigated by the analysis of mortality data from 1998 to 2000 from the abattoir records. Results Mortality of bobby calves increased exponentially with distance of transportation to the abattoir. The association between distance travelled and mortality was greatest in August. The increased mortality associated with greater distance travelled occurred during transportation rather than after arrival at the abattoir. The highest mortality of bobby calves was seen in October, followed by September, and the lowest was observed in August. Conclusion Limits on the distance of transportation of bobby calves should be incorporated into future codes of practice to reduce the mortality of bobby calves.
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Increased duration of transport has been shown to increase mortality rates during transport in young calves (approximately four to seven days of age) transported to slaughterhouses in Australia and New Zealand.
“Furthermore, an increased duration of transport has been shown to increase mortality rates during transport in young calves (approximately four to seven days of age) transported to slaughterhouses in Australia and New Zealand [16, 17].”
From Observational study: effect of varying transport durations and feed withdrawal on the physiological status and health of dairy calves (2025) · cites this paper as [16]
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Welfare, B. O. A. (2001)
UnresolvedLand transport of cattle, Australian model code of practice for the welfare of animals, SCARM
Standing Committee on Agriculture and Resource Management (1999)
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“Although the transport of calves to abattoirs for slaughter removes the risk of subsequent morbidity, studies have still shown that mortality can be a problem for these young animals during the transport and lairage process (Cave et al. 2005).”
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“Lairage Not surprisingly, and in line with most other classes of animals, there is a correlation between increasing transport distance (from farm to processor) and the correlated travel duration and calf mortality (26, 86, 95, 96).”
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Goetz, H. M., Winder, C. B., Costa, J. H. C., Creutzinger, K. C., Uyama, T., Kelton, D. F., Dunn, J., & Renaud, D. L. (2022) · Journal of Dairy Science · doi:10.3168/jds.2021-21211 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
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“64% (Cave et al. 2005) and similar levels were recorded in New Zealand (K O’Grady and R Wild, pers.”
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“They can be slaughtered within days of birth as bobby calves targeting niche marketing strategies, mostly in Australia and New Zealand (Cave et al., 2005).”
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“Thus, male calves are less profitable for farmers and sometimes considered a by-product of dairy production (Cave et al. 2005).”
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“Despite the perceived practicality, this practice comes with significant welfare implications (9, 12).”
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“Increased travel duration has been associated with increased mortality in cattle [61] (for contrasting results, see [62]), calves [63], pigs [50,51]; especially when associated with elevated temperatures [64] (for contrasting results, see [65]; for a review, see [66]) and poultry [55 – 57,59 ,60 ].”
BackgroundPublic Awareness, Attitude and Empathy Regarding the Management of Surplus Dairy Calves
Herrler, M., Chagunda, M. G. G., & Stroebele‐Benschop, N. (2023) · Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics · doi:10.1007/s10806-023-09905-x · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“The handling of these surplus dairy calves differs depending on the region considered: For instance, in New Zealand and Australia surplus calves of dairy breeds are often transported over long distances to be subsequently slaughtered only a few days after birth (Cave et al., 2005).”
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- Authors
- CAVE, J., CALLINAN, A., & WOONTON, W.
- Venue
- Australian Veterinary Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2005-01
- Volume
- 83
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 82-84
- ISSN
- 0005-0423 (ISSN-L)
- 1751-0813
- OpenAlex
- W2059363730
- Cited by
- 64
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 6 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 0.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Australian Veterinary Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal health and immunology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
- Keywords
- calf mortality, long-distance transport, road transport, slaughterhouses, transport distance, seasonal variation, code of practice, cattle welfare
- MeSH terms
- Abattoirs, Animals, Animal Husbandry, Animals, Newborn, Cattle, Cattle Diseases, Mortality, Seasons, Transportation, Victoria
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