Stops may harm sheep
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by Ian Wylie • New research commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture suggests conventional advice about the transport of sheep is wrong and claims that stopping for a few hours mid-journey may be more harmful than helpful to the animals.
Last week, one of the UK's largest sheep transporters, F Machin & Co, was ordered to pay fines of more than £12,000 for failing to rest animals after 14 hours of travelling.
But a study by Dr Toby Knowles of the School of Veterinary Science in Bristol concludes that the effects of transport on a sheep's heart rate and blood generally disappear after nine hours. Knowles' work also indicates that a stop of a few hours is more likely to be detrimental than beneficial to sheep.
By law, after 14 hours' travel sheep have to be rested for at least an hour. They can then travel a further 14 hours before a rest of at least 24 hours. "Stopping after 14 hours only prolongs the journey and it would he far better if hauliers drove the full distance without stopping," says Knowles. "Hauliers are being caught by EU legislation."
The research also refutes the notion that sheep should be loaded tightly to support each other. Dr Knowles says there is good evidence that tightly packed animals find it more difficult to keep their balance. According to Dr Knowles, more needs to be known about air temperature and movement during transit and how different types of sheep react to the stress of transport. Dr Knowles says he hopes further research he intends to publish next year will lead to a change in the law.