Meat+Poultry - December 2017 - 92

FROM THE CORRAL

Conference notes
managers must carefully plan trucking
At the North American Meat Institute's
schedules because there will be
Animal Care and Handling
little room for leeway. The
Conference in October, a
electronic system will
wide variety of transport
When transporting
measure the following:
issues were addressed.
livestock, it's
1) Number of safe miles
Karen Schwartzkoff, a
important to have
driven; 2) Time tailgating
researcher from Agri
agreements with
local
police
and
another
vehicle; 3) Failure
Food Canada, presented
fire
departments.
to
use
turn
signal, and other
some interesting statistics
driving mistakes. It will also
on her surveys of cattle
make it possible to compare
transport. Driver experience
performance between different drivers.
matters. If a driver had six to 10
Loren Fruwirth from Merritt Trailer
years of cattle transport experience,
Co. and Tim Kasmicki from Wilson
the percentage of compromised
Trailer discussed recent improvements
animals was significantly reduced on
in trailer design. Bruises on the backs
long journeys of over 200 miles. They
of tall cattle have become a problem.
used a total compromised score which
Taller 14-ft.-high trailers are allowed in
combined lame, dead and downed
some states west of the Mississippi. An
animals. She stated that poor condition
additional 6 in. of headroom is provided
at loading is the biggest risk factor for
by lowering the fifth wheel and adding
an animal becoming compromised.
6 in. of height. If these taller trailers are
used, routes must be carefully checked
UPDATES IN EQUIPMENT
for low bridges. Other improvements in
Tom Moyer from Hatfield Quality
cattle trailers are a gradual 23° internal
Meats discussed his experiences with
ramp and a fold-up ramp. This provides
electronic monitoring systems that
62 ½ in. of height for cattle going in and
replace paper truck logs. He estimates
out of the belly.
that there will be a 7 percent decrease
In hog trailers, design changes have
in driver efficiency due to mandatory
been
made to make the trailers easier
rest breaks. The system records
to
wash.
For biosecurity reasons,
everything the truck does when the
crevices
where
manure can build up
motor is running, and it can also be
have been reduced. High-end Wilson
used to determine the cause of an
accident. To use the systems effectively, trailers now have fans, solar powered
temperature monitoring and decks that
can be moved up and down, and fans
can be easily removed so that plastic
boards can be installed.

EMERGENCY PLANNING
Jason McAlister, director of animal
welfare with Triumph Foods, provided
the latest information on preparing
for emergencies and livestock truck
accidents. A common mistake is to
forget about different needs during
different seasons. In hot weather,
stopping can be a killer of pigs. The
temperature can increase by 1° every
minute that a trailer is parked. It is
important to plan alternative routes in
advance so that drivers know where to
go when there is a traffic jam.
Jennifer Woods, an animal-welfare
consultant, discussed best practices for
the design and upkeep of a rescue trailer
for use after a truck tips over. Standard
livestock trailers should contain
biosecurity equipment, livestock panels,
trailer cutting equipment and euthanasia
devices. Each trailer should have its
equipment inventoried on a regular
basis. She also emphasized the need to
have agreements with local police and
fire departments.
Leo Bartlett, a labor specialist at
Bartlett Consulting, presented on how
to keep and motivate employees. A big
problem is a mismatch between the
employee and the job. For livestock
handling positions, a calm person is
best and on the boning floor, a more
aggressive person is more suitable.
People also need to work in an
environment where they feel valued and
have opportunities for advancement.
T E M P L E G R A N D I N | m e a t p o u l t r y @ s o s l a n d .c o m

Attendees at the NAMI Animal Care and Handling
Conference had the opportunity to hear about a
variety of topics dealing with animal transport.
Rosalie Winard

92

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