VEHICLE TYPES, TRANSIT TIME AND STOCKING DENSITY OF VEHICLES TRANSPORTING CATTLE INTO AKINYELE INTERNATIONAL CATTLE MARKET, IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Transportation is an inevitable event in an animal’s life. However, it has been tagged one of the most stressful experience an animal goes through. Akinyele international Cattle Market Ibadan (AICM) was used for the study over a period of five consecutive weeks. Data were obtained from 7.00am – 7.00pm using direct observation with the aid of checklist and information on number of cattle, vehicle type, transit time and stocking density were obtained. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics SPSS The study revealed that a total number of 554 vehicles brought 11635 cattle into AICM from13 states in which Kebbi had the highest number of cattle (66.4%) and Kogi the least (0.1%). Four Vehicle types were commonly used with the highest being articulated Mistibushi Canter (44.6%) while articulated Mistibushi Nisan Fuso Canter (2.2%) the least. Among the 13 states from which cattle were transported to AICM, the highest Transit Time (hours) was from Yobe (24.35 ± 0.2) while the least was from Kwara (4.39 ± 0.4). The highest stocking density (m-2 ) was observed on the Articulated Nisan Canter Pisset (1.8) while the least (1.2) was from articulated Long Trailer and Articulated Short Trailer. The study revealed that cattle were transported for long hours using different vehicle types with high stocking density