Australia: Visiting Gippsland Regional Livestock Exchange Sale

It has been some time since we visited this facility. The pens are under cover and the approximately 1300 cattle are quiet. The flooring is bark chip and each pen has a clean water trough containing water. The density in a few pens on this sale day restricts movement of the cattle to the water, but we are assured by management that the affected animals have been in those pens since the morning. We were informed that every animal has had space to lie down and rest and room to move to access the water overnight. There are sufficient pens in which to hold the cattle to give them space to lie down. There are some thin dairy cattle with calves – each mum and baby are sold together. The animals are fit to sell and to transport. We understand the numbers of cattle at this sale was the biggest they have had in five years, and in our view the management of welfare appeared to be very appropriate. 

The handling is quiet, and the loading of a truck was very calm.