Australia: Visiting OMEO Saleyard

This sale is the second and last for this saleyard for this year.  As with yesterday, we identify several animal welfare problems from the water troughs being on the ground and cattle standing in them to flooded pens due to broken troughs or pipes and too many animals in some pens. There is limited room to hold this number of cattle overnight at a density that allows space to lie down and rest, so in many pens it appears that they are standing all night and cannot access water even if the water is available and clean. 

Several pens are filled with mud and despite one of the holding pens having a large concrete water trough, the numbers of animals are so high they are unable to get access to the trough. 

Our report to the operators and regulators will include all welfare issues.