TRANSPORTATION OF

SHEEP AND GOAT

SHIVARAJ KUMAR C M
ID: MVHK 1934
NEED

Marketing

Slaughter

Re-stocking (from drought areas to better grazing and

change of ownership)
METHODS
Hoof

By Road Motor Vehicle

By Rail

On ship and

By Air
 Appropriate sheep and goat transport

1. The Guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural

Development must be followed - Transport of Animals,
Rules, 1978. SCHEDULE – J Rule 65
2. Shall be examined by a veterinary doctor for freedom
from infectious diseases and their fitness to undertake the
journey.
3. Proforma for Certificate of fitness to Travel - Sheep
and Goats have to carry along with
The Transport of Animals Rules, 1978 Proforma for certificate of fitness to travel sheep and goats.
This Certificate should be completed and signed by a qualified Veterinary Surgeon.
Date and time of examination ...................................................................................... Species of
Animals ...................................................................................................... Number of
Animals ......................................................................................................
Sex ..................................... Age .............................................. I hereby certify that I have read
rules 64 to 75 in Chapter V of the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978.
1. That, at the request of (consignor) ........................................................ I examined the above
mentioned animals not more than 12 hours before their departure.
2. That each appeared to be in a fit condition to travel by rail/road/sea and is not showing any signs
of infectious or contagious or parasitic disease(s) and that it has been vaccinated against any
infectious or contagious disease (s).
3. That the animals were adequately fed and watered for the purpose of the journey.
4. That the animals have been vaccinated. (a) Type of vaccine(s):
(b) Date of vaccination:

Signed......................................... Address........................................

Date......................... Qualifications........................................
4.Trekking:
The journey should be planned
Paying attention to the distance to be traveled
Opportunities for grazing,
Watering and overnight rest.
Should be trekked during the cooler times of the day
The recommended maximum trekking distances for sheep
and goats should not exceed 24km/day.
The distance they travel should not exceed 16km/day for
subsequent days.
5.Transporting sheep and goats using vehicles:
Should be transported using trucks manufactured for
livestock transport
Ordinary trucks can be modified to serve the purpose.
 General Problems in Sheep and Goat
Transport

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has

issued guidelines on animal transport.

Lack of awareness on the extent of losses incurred during

transport by producers, transporters, etc.

Lack of awareness of availability of animal transport
vehicles
 Problems related to Trekking

1. Absence of holding points:

The animals are forced to travel long distance without
rest, feed and water.
2.Untrained drovers:
Drovers have not received training on proper handling
of animals during trekking.
 Problems Related to Trucking
1. Types of vehicles used

 ordinary trucks - are not suitable for easy offloading of

animals for rest, feed, water and veterinary services and for
subsequent reloading.

2.Unavailability of holding grounds

 many times sheep and goats are haulted in lorries and pick-up

trucks

3.Improper loading/unloading
4.Congestion
Requirements for a vehicle for sheep and
goat transport
The conditions should be fulfilled by both dedicated and
modified vehicles used for the transport of sheep and
goats are
1. Ventilation:
The free flow of air at floor level is important to
facilitate removal of ammonia from urine and exhaust
fumes in road vehicles that may cause poisoning.
Poor ventilation can cause undue stress,
poisoning and
suffocation
2.Floors:
 Non-slippery floors to reduce the risk of animals slipping.

 Welding small bars or aluminum mesh on the floor or a grid of

cross slating made from wood or metal is suitable to reduce
slipping.
 The common practice of covering the floor surface with grass,
sawdust or similar materials is not suitable to reduce slipping.
 Overcrowding results in injuries or even death.

 If the floor area is too large for the number of animals, it is

advisable to use temporary partitions to avoid animals being
thrown about during transport.
 Space requirement

Approximate weight Space required (m2)

of animals(kg)

Wooled Shorn
Upto 20 0.18 0.16
21 to 25 0.20 0.18
26 to 30 0.23 0.22
Above 30 0.28 0.26
 Railway Wagon

Gauge type Area of wagon Capacity

Broad Gauge Less than 21.1 m2 70
21.1 m2 and above 100
Meter Gauge Less than 12.5 m2        50
12.5 m2 and above 60
Narrow Gauge - 25
3.Sides:
The sides of vehicles should be high enough to prevent animals
from jumping out.
The inside could also be padded at hip level to reduce bruising.
Old tires can be used to cushion the sides.
4. Roof:
A roof is not necessary on a sheep and goat transport vehicle
provided the animals are not exposed to the hot sun for long
hours.
5.Loading/Unloading ramps:
• Vehicle floors should be level with loading/unloading
ramps/platforms,
• Vehicles should be fitted with a portable ramp to facilitate
emergency offloading
 Pre-loading Precautions

•Check transport vehicles for safety and adequacy.

•Vehicles should be clean.
• It is advisable to fit the vehicles with a portable ramp
to facilitate emergency offloading in case of prolonged
breakdowns.
• Do not mix horned and hornless animals in the
vehicles.
 Pre-loading Precautions
Different species should not be mixed.
Diseased, injured and emaciated animals are unfit

to be transported as they cannot withstand the stress of

transport.
• Pregnant animals within four and preferably six
weeks prior to lambing should not be transported long
distances.
 Loading Animals

Align vehicle floor while loading.

 Limbs and heads must not protrude outside the sides

and tops of the vehicle.

 Separate animals by size and age

Always treat animals humanely.

During the Journey
 It is good to transport during the cooler periods of the day,
Time in transit should be planned.
Any one journey should not exceed 24 hours unless the
entire journey can be completed in less than 30 hours.
Sheep/goats should be offloaded after 24 hours for feed,
water, rest and exercise if the journey is to take longer than
30 hours.
 Vehicles should be driven smoothly, without jerks or
sudden stops.
 Corners should be taken slowly and gently.
 A second person should be in attendance to spot animals
that may fall down so that the vehicle can be stopped and
the animal lifted.
 Feeding during transport
Mature animals must not be without food for more than 24
hours and young animals for not more than 12 hours.
 A simple guide to an adequate amount of feed is 2.5% of
the animal’s live weight as hay in kilograms per day, e.g.,
a 20 Kg sheep would require 0.5 Kg (500 grams) of hay
/day.
Watering during transport
Provide water at least every 8 hours for lactating or young
animals and every 12 hours for mature non-lactating
animals.
Allow at least 4 liters/head/day for sheep and goats.
Water supply should at least be doubled where
temperatures are greater than 400 c
 After the Journey

 Transported sheep/goats should have access to clean

water immediately after unloading.

 Feed should be readily available immediately after

unloading. Provide good quality hay.

 It is better for sheep/goats to reach their destination

during daylight so that they can start grazing in the new

and unfamiliar ecology.
Care should be taken introducing hungry sheep to grazing

areas with toxic plants.

 Consequences of Poor Sheep and Goat
Transport
significant loss of meat quality and production.
Body weight loss (Shrinkage)- overloading.
 Some animals may even sub sequentially die due to
dehydration and exhaustion.
Physical injury - bruising
Trampling - this occurs when animals fall down due to
slippery floors or overcrowding
Other forms of Injury - broken legs, horns etc.
Loss of product quality: Prolonged feed withdrawal and
injuries during transportation can cause carcass shrinkage
and negatively affect carcass or meat quality
Mortality loss -Dehydration ,exhaustion, Pasteurellosis
Breakdown of resistance to endoparasites
 Predator attack - animals trekked under inadequate guarding may

be attacked by wild animals

Bloat - restraining or tying the feet of sheep and goats while trucking

without turning them can cause bloating and subsequent death .

Poisoning- animals can die from plant poisoning during trekking or

due to exhaust fumes from transport vehicles

 The possibility of spreading animal diseases: Animals, especially

those that are trekked, can be infected or they can spread diseases along
the trekking route.
Case study
A study on small ruminant marketing practices in
southern tamil nadu Tirunelveli district, by Senthil et al.,
(2011) observed that the modes of transportation of
sheep and goats to bring them to the market were mainly
jeep/truck (32.7% in livestock market-I and 35.4% at
market-II), followed by through walking(hoof method)
and by auto rickshaws.
Reference:

 S. SENTHILKUMAR., R. RAMPRABHU. and A. SERMA SARAVANA

PANDIAN., 2011. Small Ruminant Marketing Practices in Southern Tamil
Nadu: A Case Study. Indian Journal of Small Ruminants 18(1):129-131.