Effects of transport on the welfare of calves under five weeks of age

In 2023, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on the protection of animals during transport to replace Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005. This new text proposes regulatory transport conditions based on the recommendations of the EFSA opinion on the welfare of cattle during transport, with specific recommendations concerning the transport of calves (EFSA AHAW Panel, 2022). The new regulatory proposal would increase the minimum age for the transport of calves to 5 weeks, whereas the minimum age is currently set from 10 days (for journeys over 100 km) to 14 days (for journeys lasting more than 8 hours). At the request of the Animal Welfare Office (BBEA) of the General Directorate for Food (DGAL) at the French Ministry of Agriculture, this report, written by the FRCAW, addresses the main welfare issues encountered during the transport of calves under 5 weeks of age. The information reported by the EFSA has been supplemented by a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature not cited in the EFSA opinion, particularly studies that have been published since 2022. In Europe, calves are generally transported at the age of 2 to 4 weeks, a sensitive stage in their lives during which their own immune systems have not yet developed and their thermoregulatory capacities are limited. For such animals, transport conditions are likely to increase fatigue, stress, dehydration, the development of disease and mortality. This vulnerability decreases with age. two-week-old calves are more vulnerable than four-week-old calves, who in turn are more vulnerable than six-month-old calves, whose immune systems have reached maturity. Furthermore, navel healing, which is a regulatory prerequisite for the transport of calves, is complete only at 3 to 4 weeks of age. Throughout this report, the recommendations for the transport of unweaned calves formulated either in the EFSA opinion or by other authors are reiterated. Studies in the literature emphasise the need for good management of colostrum intake from birth to promote the transfer of passive immunity. They also stress that sufficient energy must be provided to calves by offering them milk replacer 4 hours before transport, and that the total journey duration should be limited to 8 hours.