We visit two salyards in South Australia – Naracoorte and Mount Gambier – where several thousand cattle and sheep are offered for sale. In Mount Gambier, we observe that the floors of the pens are contaminated with urine and feces and become slippery due to the rain. As the auction begins and noise levels increase, many animals react with fear and stress. This sensory overload triggers panic in some animals: they slip and move frantically around the pens. Stockpersons sometimes attempt to move the cattle by shouting and yelling, although calm, low-stress handling methods would be far more effective in guiding the animals. Like the cattle, the sheep are also kept outdoors without protection from adverse weather conditions. Many animals appear visibly cold. The veterinarian accompanying us confirms our assessment that four lame sheep are not fit for transport. However, the market management disagreed, leading to a discussion. Three of the animals were eventually removed from the sale process, and we were informed that they were humanely killed. We also noted unclear signage regarding the handling of animals affected by the notifiable disease footrot, particularly with regard to their eligibility for sale.
At the Naracoorte livestock market, cattle are kept in covered pens on soft flooring, whereas sheep are housed on concrete without protection from the weather. The cattle are generally in acceptable condition, and stocking densities allow them to move freely. Water troughs are clean and easily accessible, and handling is calm and quiet. In contrast, many sheep pens are overcrowded. Most animals were delivered early in the morning. We identified one sheep with a foot abscess; it was removed from the group and, according to information provided on site, was to be humanely killed.
