WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN INSTALLING CATTLE RACKS TO VEHICLES

South Africa has a fairly intimate relationship with farming and agriculture. Networks of farms and suppliers dot the country, which means that livestock needs to be transported as a regular course of action.

But anyone who has ever had to handle transporting livestock knows that it is no simple thing to do. You need to make the right preparations to ensure the safety and comfort of animals in transit; not just for their own wellbeing and safety, but as a matter of compliance.

So, as a leading manufacturer and installer of cattle racks in Gauteng , we at Steelite Metal Products & Towbars bring you a few things that you need to be sure of when installing cattle racks to your vehicle

The following information is in accordance with the South African Code of Practice for the Handling & Transport of Lifestock.

IMPERVIOUS NON-SLIP FLOORS WITH DRAINAGE

There is quite a bit to consider in terms of the flooring of the trailer that will be transporting livestock, and there might be a few differences to consider depending on the type of animal being transported, but there are a few things that will remain consistent with ant vehicle transporting livestock.

Firstly, you need to ensure that it is non-slip, but should be done in a way that makes cleaning and drainage possible, to ensure that animals are able to maintain balance and comfort during transit

The floors also need to be impervious, meaning they need to be strong enough to not take damage from the animal in any way, to ensure that they continue to support it properly.

For the sake of maintaining sanitary conditions, floors also need to allow for adequate drainage.

VENTILATION & COVER

Both ventilation and adequate cover from the elements is important, with the former always being necessary and the latter often depending on the type of livestock being transported, and the length of the trip.

Cattle racks and similar vehicles should never be completely closed, always allowing for light and ventilation whether moving or not. Animals should also be protected from vehicle gasses since exposure to fumes can be hazardous to the animals in the vehicle due to limited ability to breathe, which will distress them.

In terms of cover, animals need to be properly shielded from the elements such as sun, cold, and rain. This is particularly the case for pigs which can be sensitive to these elements, or in cases where animals are being transported for longer periods of time.

In many cases, it is even necessary to keep a supply of emergency water in the vehicle to spray animals and reduce their exhaustion during trips.

ENOUGH SPACE

Animals need to be given enough space, which means that capacity should be limited depending on the type of cattle racks and trailers being used. It also means that your vehicle needs to provide for ample space, especially with multi-tier ones which should provide at leas 100cm of height between decks.

Also make sure that there are no obstructions near the floor of the area that animals can injure themselves on.

SIDEWALLS

Side walls are an obvious point of importance for a few reasons. Firstly, they need to be robust enough in their design to contain particular types of animals. The bigger and stronger the animals, the hardier (and higher) they need to be.

A good rule of thumb in terms of height is that the sidewalls should be about shoulder height to the largest animal being transported to avoid accidents or escapes.

Where much smaller animals are concerned, the sidewalls need to be a minimum of 750mm high

Our commitment to product & service quality

Steelite Metal Products & Towbars houses extensive departments for sales, certification, parts, and service.

For over three decades we have been dedicated to serving you with the best service, pricing, and products available. Our commitment to client satisfaction is our top priority, which is what makes us one of the top metal and steel accessory dealers in our industry.

Contact Steellite Metal Products & Towbars for details

If you would like to know more about our offers on cattle racks in South Africa, be sure to get in contact with a representative from Steelite Metal Products & Towbars today.

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