Evaluation of animal welfare during transport of sheep for slaughter.

During transport, loading and unloading sheep are subjected to stressors that affect their welfare and the quality of the meat, in addition to producing significant economic losses to the producers. Objective: To evaluate the animal welfare practices during the terrestrial transport of sheep for slaughter. The information collection was carried out by means of a (transport stress survey on animal welfare of sheep). Demographic variables, animal management and vehicle design conditions, transport risks, type of animals, such as feeding, perception of animal welfare were evaluated. The transport of sheep by people aged between 29 and 48 years (63.30%), the drivers own the vehicle for the transport of sheep (63.30%). Drivers do not suffer from any chronic illness (86.7%) because they cannot perform their activity. The drivers do not monitor the animals' physical conditions during the trip, and they use them with methods such as picaneléctrica (16.70), sticks (8.30%), shouts (58.30%), and other methods (15.00%) which do not guarantee animal welfare. In the transportation of passengers (45.0%); Causes of the accident (55.56%), shock (40.74) and mechanical failures (3.70), the accidents occurred every day (33.33%) and night (66.67%). The transport has a mortality of (1-2%) and the conditions of the vehicles comply partially with the sanitary requirements. Conclusions the improvement of sheep transport infrastructure in the study area, the training of drivers, and the promotion of animal welfare practices in all chain users and the development of research in the area are required.