Expert Advice on Live Stock Transport

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 15, 12 January 1934, Page 2

Expert Advice on Live Stock Transport

“That a considerable amount of wastage takes place through bruising of our livestock while being conveyed from the farm to the works cannot be denied,” stated Mr. J. Lyons, director livestock division, Department of Agriculture, in an address at Wellington to ihe New Zealand Association of Refrigeration. The lecturer referred to an article written by Mr. C. V. Dayus, district superintendent of the livestock division, Dunedin, in which it was stated: “In Canterbury, Otago, and South : land, from the commencement of the present season to the end' of February, 1,705,312 lambs were killed at the export meat works. Of this number 05 were wholly condemned, 131 were partially condemned, 3384 were rejected for export, and 12,911 were graded second quality, all on account of bruising. Assessing the difference between a first and secondgrade carcass at 2/G, the number graded second quality on account of bruising represents a loss of about £I6OO in just over two months.”

“I note,” said Mr. Lyons, “that in classifying the means of* transport as to which is the most fruitful source of bruising, both Mr. Nicholson and Mr. Dayus are in agreement, and that the large percentage of bruising is found in (1) those lines that have been travelled a distance and then railed ; (2) in those that have been brought to the works by motor trucks ; (3) the least bruising is found in those lines which are brought, to the works on foot. It would therefore appear' that where possible sheep ahcl lambs should be driven to the works. Unfortunately, however, this is not always possible. Bruising is liable to take place anywhere between the paddock and the slaughtering board, and as more than one individual is concerned in the

bruising in transit, I offer the following suggestion as a means of obviating as much as possible the losses met with through bruising “1. On the farm bruising may be caused by badly-constructed fences, permitting sheep and lambs to squeeze tightly underneath them. . “2. Sometimes lambs get very dirty on feed, and it is necessary to dag them before they go to the works. This may take place within a week, often within 48 hours, consequently the lambs require to be handled most carefully at this operation. “3. Crowding lambs in drafting yards that are unsuitable for the purpose, when the buyer arrives, may be a fruitful source of bruising.” Transporting Lambs Mr. Lyons says that it is a great mistake to drive or truck, lambs straight off feed. It is desirable to hold them for approximately twelve ,hours in reasonably-sized yards before being driven or trucked, as the case may be. The practice of trucking lambs straight off feed is too common. Lambs should not be trucked immediately on arrival at the railhead. They are hot and sluggish after being driven, requiring considerable effort to load them, arid then many go down in the trucks. Another fault sometimes met with is that lambs are trucked several hours before the train is due to lift the trucks. Trucks should not be overloaded. The number of lambs than can safely be put in the trucks depends on the time of the season, the quality of the animals, the growth of wool, and whether the lambs are straight off feed or not. The capacity of the trucks is often severely taxed if a fall in schedule prices is anticipated. To illustrate overloading, the following authentic information may be given ; —1260 lambs were crowded into sixteen trucks (comprising 13 J and 3 LA), with the result that nine were wholly condemned, forty rejected for export, and fifty-three graded second quality on account of

bruising. Occasionally lines have been so badly bruised that it has been necessary to suspend slaughtering operations. Beef Carcasses “I am not at present able to give you,” said Mr. Lyons, “the percentages of beef carcasses affected by bruising, but one has only to be in touch with any of our various freezing works when this class of stock is being killed to see that a very considerable saving could be made if bruising could be eliminated. As you are aware, gentlemen, the carcass of a bullock will stand more rough treatment than that of a lamb, and treatment that would seriously affect the latter would not be noticeable on the former. Nevertheless, ic is astonishing the nupber of carcasses of cattle found on slaughter to be damaged by bruising. In some instances that have come under my observation I have noticed up to 50 percent, affected, some so seriously that the carcass had to be rejected. While there are various causes that will account for this, there is one which is pre-eminent in this respect. I refer to cattle horning each other in trucks and cattle yards, and if all cattle were dehorned at an early period of their existence I venture the opinion that bruising amongst cattle would be reduced to a minimum, to the mutual benefit of all concerned. The saving in damaged hides alone would in the aggregate amount to a large sum.”