Cattle Shipping

Transportation tips for getting cattle to summer pasture

lwaechter-mead13@unl.edu — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 11:57:47 -0400

No matter if you’re hauling a few miles down the road or a long haul across state lines, paying attention to key transportation principles is essential for getting cattle there safely and in good condition.

What your mother never told you about the 21-day cortisol surge in cattle

bnellison@aol.com — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The 21-day cortisol surge in stressed cattle is a common problem that costs the combined beef and dairy sectors millions of dollars annually in mortality, morbidity, drug and labor costs, and impaired efficiencies in animals. And, yet, this inescapable reality is poorly understood and seldom planned for in producer protocols.

Hauling heavy bred beef cows

bethr@iastate.edu — Tue, 25 Nov 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Calving is around the corner, and many producers are looking to relocate the cow herd to the location best suited for their calving season needs. A few regions and operations can trail cattle between summer, winter and calving pastures, but many rely on fuel and wheels to get them where they need to be.

Receiving high-risk cattle

cwertman@endovac.com — Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

With high feeder cattle prices, it may be tempting to look for cheaper sources of calves. Often, these cattle that are below the market come with unknown vaccination records, genetics and nutritional status. The market has already factored in the increased costs of high-morbidity, high-mortality, high-risk cattle.

Mitigating shipping stress in calves

bethr@iastate.edu — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 00:00:00 -0400

One of the beef industry’s greatest strengths is its diversity. However, this segmentation often results in a calf being transported as many as four to six times prior to harvest, with each transit event inducing stress.

6 factors to determine if an animal is fit for transport

jherman@beef.org — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 17:31:29 -0400

Cattle health is closely monitored in each sector of the beef and dairy industries, and continuous improvement is expected from within and outside of the industries. Fitness for transport is an important concept that applies to all cattle stages, from calves to feeders to cull cows and bulls.

Understanding and managing cattle shrink

j.parish@msstate.edu — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 20:21:36 -0400

Cattle are typically marketed and transported several times in their lives. Marketing and transportation can be the most fatiguing and stressful events in a feeder calf’s life.

Receiving management for high-risk feedlot cattle

james.gaspers@hubbardfeeds.com — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 18:20:14 -0400

Nothing influences an outcome more than getting off to a good start, or a bad one.

Reduce stress when weaning and moving cattle

zeb_gray@diamondv.com — Sun, 25 Jul 2021 14:00:01 -0400

Now is the time of year when many producers are weaning calves, and new cattle will be entering feedlots. During this stretch, stress is the number one issue that will influence performance.

The industry-wide significance of transporting fit animals

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 14:00:01 -0400

Transportation is an inherently stressful and rigorous process for all cattle to go through, regardless of what condition they are in.

Shipping shrink – Two management considerations

kalyn.waters@ufl.edu — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 21:02:45 -0400

Growing up, there were several days that brought anxiety to the ranch: branding and sale day were probably the biggest. While there were a million things that could impact the success of branding day (mainly rain and having enough help), when it came to sale day, the entire family knew the importance of what was riding on that single day.

5 ways to prevent transportation stress in cattle

tthomas@alltech.com — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 14:44:27 -0400

Transportation stress is an unavoidable factor for any beef operation. The effects of transportation stress in cattle is a challenge to rectify, however, the negative health effects incurred by transporting animals can be limited by implementing a number of good management practices.

6 cattle-handling problems and how to fix them

aleeya.laureola@arrowquip.com — Wed, 20 May 2020 20:11:45 -0400

There are problems lurking in every cattle-handling system that can create a headache on your operation – or totally ruin your system. Luckily, there are some simple fixes that can solve any problems you might find in your cattle-handling system. Whether you are investing in a new system or trying to improve your current one, spend a little time making sure it works for you by avoiding or fixing these common pitfalls.

Southeast: Loading cattle the right way

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 14:00:01 -0400

There is a step in between weaning and payday that can make a difference in our product. I’m sure you can recall seeing trailers with various issues over the years. When loading out after a sale once, I loaded a heifer onto a buyer’s bumper pull trailer.