I. Preparation Before Departure: Leaving Risks Behind
1. Vehicle Self-Inspection
- Check tire pressure, suspension system, and guardrail locks one by one to prevent minor problems from turning into major accidents.
- Lay 20-30 cm of dry grass or straw mats on the truck bed, then cover with non-slip rubber mats to prevent cattle and sheep from "skating" during emergency braking.
2. Documents and Supplies
- Essential documents: Animal quarantine certificate for leaving the county, vehicle disinfection certificate, and travel route registration form. Missing any of these may result in being turned back.
- Tool list: 10 m soft water hose, plastic buckets, electrolytes and multivitamins, emergency veterinary medicine, and binding straps. Don't forget these even for trips under 100 km.
3. Animal Selection
- First, observe: moist nose, bright eyes, and no limping; Second, feel: ears are not hot, and pulse is normal (cattle 60 beats/min, sheep 75-80 beats/min); Third, classify: weak cattle and sheep should be placed in separate pens, and pregnant ewes should have ≥0.5 m²/head of space.
II. Loading Process: Encouraging Cattle and Sheep to Board Voluntarily
1. Loading Area and Slope
- The gap between the truck tail and the loading platform should be ≤10 cm, and the slope ≤26°, so that lambs don't jump and large cattle don't pant.
2. Time Control
- Stop feeding silage, root vegetables, and other "laxative" feeds 3-4 hours before loading, and only give a small amount of dry grass to reduce urination by 30% during the journey.
3. Loading Order
- Load larger animals first, then smaller ones; stronger animals first, then weaker ones. Immediately insert partitions after each pen is 80% full to prevent "empty compartments causing problems."
- Separate horned and hornless animals into different pens. Position bulls "back to back" to reduce the risk of goring.
III. In-Transit Management: Minimizing Stress
1. Driving Style
- Start smoothly, turn slowly, and brake gently. Stop at a service area every 100 km or 2 hours for inspection. Immediately help any fallen animals back up.
2. Temperature and Humidity Management
- During summer daytime driving, open the front and rear baffles to create a "rear → front" airflow; when the temperature is >30℃ and humidity is >80%, reduce the loading density by 20% and drive in the early morning or evening.
- In winter, close the side baffles, but leave a 5 cm ventilation gap at the top to prevent the animals from becoming "frozen."
3. Water and Feed Supplementation
- For long-distance journeys >500 km, use a soft water pipe to provide tap water every 4 hours, in small amounts and frequently. Give sheep 1 L and cattle 3 L first, avoiding excessive drinking.
- Cover the hay with a tarpaulin on the roof of the vehicle, and feed it only after stopping to prevent mold.
IV. Unloading and Arrival: Preventing "Travel Fatigue" Outside the Farm
1. Unloading Ramp
- The slope should be ≤20°, allowing the cattle and sheep to walk down the vehicle themselves. Pushing, pulling, or beating is prohibited; if any sheep jump off the ramp, it indicates the slope is still too steep.
2. "Rest First, Then Feed" Upon Arrival
- First, confine them to a quiet enclosure, rest for 5-6 hours before giving them water. On the first day, only provide electrolyte-fortified water + a small amount of bran water. From the second day onwards, gradually add high-quality green grass, and on the third day, feed concentrated feed at 0.5 kg/time, twice a day.
3. Health Check
- Within 2 hours of unloading, complete the "two observations and two measurements": observe feeding and rumination; measure body temperature and respiration. Immediately isolate and treat any abnormal individuals.
V. Bonus: 3 "Secret Techniques" from Experienced Drivers
1. "Diagonal Horn Tying Method" – Use tying straps to secure the cattle's horns diagonally to the vehicle compartment, preventing the cattle's heads from rushing forward during braking.
2. "Wet Towel Cooling" – In summer, after parking, place a wet towel on the carotid artery of the cattle; this can lower the temperature by 1℃ in 30 seconds.
3. "Whistle + Flag" – Sheep are afraid of dark shadows but not sounds, while cattle are afraid of sudden sounds but not shadows; use a whistle to direct cattle and a flag to direct sheep for greater efficiency.