Pre-embarkation risk factors for sheep deaths during export by sea from Western Australia

Truck-drivers and previous owners of sheep from 133 farms (lines of sheep) were asked for information on possible risk factors for inappetance during lot-feeding and for shipboard mortality during 5 voyages to the Middle East. There was no consistent association between a number of factors prior to trucking or during trucking to the feedlot and inappetance during lot-feeding or mortality aboard ship. The factors included: whether sheep were bred or purchased by the owner, whether sheep were mixed with sheep from another farm in the previous 2 or 6 months, previous experience of trucking, frequency of yarding, experience of supplementary feeding, age, rainfall zone of the farm of origin, distance trucked, time on the truck and time off feed on arrival at the feedlot. Inappetance during lot-feeding was significantly associated with total deaths aboard ship for individuals and for lines of sheep. Failure to eat late in the feedlot period was also a risk factor for individuals that died with inanition (relative risk = 6.9) or salmonellosis (relative risk = 5.9). In 2 voyages, there was no significant difference in shipboard death rate between groups that were previously lot-fed in sheds or in paddocks. This was despite significantly more non-feeders in the sheds than in the paddocks prior to one voyage. This finding suggested that some nonfeeders commenced eating pellets aboard the ship. Although inappetance in the feedlot was a risk factor for shipboard deaths, there was no difference in shipboard weight change between feedlot non-feeders and feeders in 2 voyages. It was concluded that most non-feeders began eating pelleted feed aboard ship.