If you have livestock on your farm, it’s likely that at certain times you will need to move them from one location to another using a trailer. In the summer months when the weather is at its warmest, this presents its own challenges.
We’ve rounded up the main advice to help ensure the welfare and safety of livestock during transport.
If you’re in the market for a new trailer, you should seriously consider Iford Williams livestock trailers. The brand is synonymous with quality livestock trailers and has been trusted by British farmers for over half a century.
As we run through the advice for transporting livestock, we’ll highlight how an Iford Williams trailer can support you and your animals.
Choose cooler times of day
Whenever you’re considering transporting livestock during the summer months, it’s important to plan to do so during the cooler periods of the day.
That might mean overnight, early in the morning or around dusk when the temperature has dropped.
According to the government’s guidance, you should not plan to transport animals in temperatures exceeding 30 degrees C.
Iford Williams trailers, such as the P6 and P8 models have heat-reflecting aluminium roofs, which can also help to keep the internal temperature of the trailer down in hotter conditions.
Ensure there is good ventilation in your livestock trailer
Making sure your trailer is adequately ventilated and has good air flow will also help. Many of the Iford Williams livestock trailers are designed to provide good ventilation, through the use of side vents.
Some trailer models, such as the TA5, feature wider side vents with flaps, which can help the air to flow more freely within the trailer and ensure that your animals stay comfortable for the duration of their journey.
However, it is important to remember that trailers such as this only have good airflow when the vehicle is moving. This means you should avoid leaving your animals in the trailer while it is stationary for a long period of time.
Keep journeys as short as possible
To make the process as stress-free and comfortable as possible for your animals, it’s important to keep journeys as short as possible.
This means taking the time to research the best routes and, if you’re travelling on main roads, to consider busy times of day to ensure you can avoid the worst of the traffic.
If you are travelling longer distances, plan stops more frequently and ensure that when you park your vehicle, the trailer is in shade. You will also need to make provision for water for your animals and it’s recommended that you check their condition frequently during the drive.
Transport fewer animals at a time
To improve the ventilation in your livestock trailer, you may also want to consider transporting fewer animals in a single trip to help keep them cool and maintain their welfare.
Animals can easily overheat if they are packed too closely together, so it is essential to give them enough space that they are able to regulate their body temperatures during transportation.
Guidance states that farmers should reduce the load density of their animals in trailers by at least 30 per cent in hot conditions.
You may need to reduce this further if you are planning to transport animals that are pregnant or that have a heavy coat or full fleece, which would make them more susceptible to suffering from heat stroke.
Minimise handling the animals during loading and unloading
When you are getting your animals into and out of your livestock trailer, keep handling to a minimum.
This helps to reduce the risk of causing major disturbance to your animals. Iford Williams trailers can be supplied with the company’s EasyLoad ramp and folding deck system, which not only helps you to deploy and stow the ramp deck system, but also reduces how much you need to handle your animals to get them into the trailer.
In situations where you want to quickly load and unload your animals, this can save valuable time and help ensure that your animals are only in the trailer for as long as is necessary to make the journey.
We know that you want to do the best by your animals and ensure they are comfortable, even when they are being moved either to other parts of your land or to other locations.
With summer approaching, it is always a good idea to refresh your memory as to the rules surrounding livestock transportation and to ensure that you have the right kinds of trailers and equipment to do the job safely.