Development of a mobile livestock loading ramp

Abstract

Abstract An Adjustable Mobile Loading Ramp was developed to serve as panacea to the inadequacy of handling equipment along the cattle value chain in Nigeria. The Ramp is 2.7 m long and 1.0 m wide. Performance evaluation of the ramp was carried out based on the animal stress indicators i.e. pulse and respiratory rates measured before and after loading. For comparison, similar data were collected when loading was done manually at the Akinyele Cattle Market in Ibadan, Nigeria. The mean pulse rates (beats per minute) of animals before and after loading were 65.67 and 72.33 units respectively for the ramp as against 68.67 and 89 units for the manual method respectively. The mean respiratory rates (breaths per minute) before and after loading were 30 and 34.66 units respectively for the ramp compared to 29 and 45.67 units for the manual method respectively. Statistical analyses showed that there were no significant differences between the pulse and respiratory rates before and after loading of animals using the ramp. The manual method resulted in significant differences between the pulse and respiratory rates before and after loading. The use of the ramp eliminates many of the hazards associated with loading and unloading of animals onto transport vehicles.