Australian Standards for the Export of Livestock > Buffalo loading and management requirements

STANDARD 5 |

Loading and onboard management requirements

5.2.1 - The minimum pen space allocation for buffalo exported by sea is contained in Table 5. These criteria apply to this allocation:

where a curfew of more than 12 hours will be undertaken at the registered establishment prior to transport to the port of embarkation, a curfew factor of an additional 5% must be applied when calculating liveweight (cumulative with other additional space requirements and must be calculated first); and
for weights between those shown in Table 5 the minimum pen area per head must be calculated by linear interpolation; and
the weight of each animal in a pen must not vary from pen average weight by 50kg. The pen average weight is calculated by dividing the total weight of the buffalo in the pen by the number of buffalo in the pen; and
for pregnant buffalo, a minimum additional 15% space must be provided; and
buffalo outside of the weights shown in Table 5 must only be sourced for export or exported in accordance with a light or heavy buffalo management plan where an exporter has approval under Standard 1.2.3.

Table 5 Minimum pen space allocation for buffalo exported by sea

Liveweight (kg)	Minimum pen area (m^2/head)
200	1.089
205	1.107
210	1.125
215	1.143
220	1.160
225	1.177
230	1.195
235	1.212
240	1.229
245	1.246
250	1.262
255	1.279
260	1.295
265	1.312
270	1.328
275	1.344
280	1.360
285	1.376
290	1.392
295	1.408
300	1.424
305	1.439
310	1.455
315	1.470
320	1.486
325	1.501
330	1.516
335	1.531
340	1.546
345	1.561
350	1.576
355	1.591
360	1.606
365	1.620
370	1.635
375	1.650
380	1.664
385	1.678
390	1.693
395	1.707
400	1.721
405	1.736
410	1.750
415	1.764
420	1.778
425	1.792
430	1.806
435	1.819
440	1.833
445	1.847
450	1.861
455	1.874
460	1.888
465	1.901
470	1.915
475	1.928
480	1.941
485	1.955
490	1.968
495	1.981
500	1.995

5.2.2 - When calculating feed and water requirements, allowance must be made for, and buffalo must be provided with:

at least the quantity of feed shown in Table 6; and
at least 12% of liveweight of water per head per day.

Table 6 Feed requirements for buffalo

Class of buffalo	Minimum feed allowance/head/day (% liveweight)
Buffalo weighing less than 250 kg	2.5
Breeding buffalo heifers with 6 or fewer permanent incisor teeth (regardless of pregnancy status)	2.5
Pregnant buffalo cows	2.5
Other classes of buffalo	2.0

5.2.3 - Feed loaded and provided to buffalo exported on:

short and long-haul voyages, must include at least 1% of the required feed as chaff and/or hay; or
extended long-haul voyages where an exporter has approval under Standard 5.1.17 to export buffalo on extended long-haul voyages, must include at least 2% of the required feed as chaff and/or hay.

5.2.4 - In addition to standard 5.1.18, buffalo exported on voyages of 10 voyage days or more must be provided with additional sawdust, rice hulls or similar bedding material to be used exclusively for bedding at a rate of at least 7 tonnes or 25m³for every 1000m²of buffalo pen space. This additional bedding requirement does not apply to buffalo loaded from a port north of latitude 26°S and exported to South-East Asia.

5.2.5 - The minimum veterinary medicines and equipment to be carried on the vessel are in Table 7. Additional veterinary medicines and equipment to be carried on voyages with pregnant buffalo are in Table 8. Additional veterinary medicines and equipment may be necessary if there are other classes of buffalo on the vessel.

Table 7 Minimum veterinary medicines and equipment for buffalo

Category	Medicines and equipment (per 1,000 buffalo)	Voyages of less than 10 days	Voyages of 10 days or more
Injectable antibiotics	¹Penicillin (short acting)	15 buffalo doses	30 buffalo doses
	¹Oxytetracycline (long acting) or equivalent	15 buffalo doses	30 buffalo doses
	¹Antibiotic(s) appropriate for the treatment of bovine respiratory disease (may include Florfenicol, Tilmicosin, Tulathromycin, Tylosin)	15 buffalo doses	30 buffalo doses
Anti-inflammatory medicines	Dexamethasone	15 buffalo doses	30 buffalo doses
	Flunixin or equivalent	15 buffalo doses	30 buffalo doses
	Topical wound treatment	Sufficient to treat 10 minor wounds	Sufficient to treat 20 minor wounds
	Pink eye treatment	10 tubes	1 box of 20 tubes
Sedative	Xylazine	5 buffalo doses	10 buffalo doses
Other equipment	Thermometers	3 per vessel	3 per vessel
	Needles (18 gauge, 1 ½ inch) or equivalent	1 box of 100	1 box of 100
	Hypodermic syringes	40 x 20mL, 10 x 5mL	40 x 20mL, 10 x 5mL
	Restraint equipment	Adjustable head bale (1 per vessel) should be included	Adjustable head bale (1 per vessel) should be included
		Rope halter (1 per vessel)	Rope halter (1 per vessel)
		Nose grip pliers (1 pair per vessel)	Nose grip pliers (1 pair per vessel)
	Post-mortem kit	2 post-mortem knives plus steel and sharpening stone per vessel	2 post-mortem knives plus steel and sharpening stone per vessel
	Remotely triggered syringe device	1 syringe plus spare parts per vessel, plus 10 spare needles per 1,000 animals	1 syringe plus spare parts per vessel, plus 10 spare needles per 1,000 animals
	Captive-bolt gun	1 per vessel, plus 40 cartridges per 1,000 animals	1 per vessel, plus 40 cartridges per 1,000 animals

¹Refer to veterinary advice and the Australian veterinary antimicrobial prescribing guidelines

Table 8 Additional minimum veterinary medicines and equipment for pregnant buffalo

Medicines and equipment	Minimum requirement
Obstetrical lubricant	5 litres per 2,000 buffalo
Calving ropes	1 set per vessel
Obstetrical gloves	1 box per vessel
Oxytocin	50 ml per 1,000 buffalo
Additional chlorohexidine (or equivalent)	5 litres per vessel
Iodine (umbilical treatment)	1 litre per vessel
Uterine pessaries	10 per 2,000 buffalo
Surgical equipment	Adequate to conduct a caesarean section