Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI) has launched a new billboard campaign to raise awareness of pregnant dairy heifers being shipped to Algeria.The first shipment of pregnant dairy heifers left Waterford Port for Oran
Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI) has launched a new billboard campaign to raise awareness of pregnant dairy heifers being shipped to Algeria.
The first shipment of pregnant dairy heifers left Waterford Port for Oran and Algiers ports in Algeria on January 4, 2025, and there have been three more shipments since.
“Algeria is building its dairy sector so is in need of good quality milking cows. Ironically, Algeria is, or was, a significant importer of Irish dairy,” says EFI representative Caroline Rowley.
The journey involves five to seven days at sea, and the heifers can be up to eight months pregnant. Cows are pregnant for nine months, just like humans. In comparison humans are advised not to go on long journeys after six months of pregnancy, she said.
Cattle can suffer during long sea journeys from motion sickness, respiratory illness from the high humidity and high ammonia levels, diarrhea from the grain heavy diet, and leg injuries from slipping in the soiled pens that just have a thin layer of sawdust. For pregnant animals the risks are higher, and it is common for at least one or two heifers to abort their calves during the sea journey.
During the last shipment
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