Photo Report: Plane full of heifers to Oman

The 165-holstein heifers, were selected by a representative of the Omani dairy farm, from 60 dairy farms in the Netherlands. Currently, market prices range between € 1,100 and € 1,175 per heifer. For the best heifers prices are above the € 1200 mark.

After two days in a holding facility in the town of Brakel, the heifers were put on five trucks and transported to an export warehouse at Schiphol airport. There they were loaded into special transport crates.

Two members of the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) check the paperwork and ear tags. After selecting the animals were already tested for IBR, BVD, para-TB and Schmallenberg virus. According to the exporter, only a few animals didn’t meet the selection criteria in this stage.

Directly from the truck the heifers walk in the prepared boxes. Five cows per transport crate.

According to Heemskerk it is essential to load as smoothly and quickly as possible to prevent stress. In three hours time, the heifers were ready for loading onto the aircraft. One and a half hours later, the cows were in the air.

A good preparation covers the paperwork as well. This speeds up the checks by the authorities.

After loading the heifers are put on the plane in the same crates which are only covered with a net as an extra safety precaution. According to the exporter this keeps the stress level as low as possible.

Using a roller conveyor, the crates with the heifers are pushed towards a so-called high loader.

Heemskerk charters a complete aircraft. During this transport he chose for a plane of Thai Airways. The high loader brings heifers to the plane. Oman is a seven-hour flight, luckily the farm at the final destination is close to the airport. Heemskerk, who has been doing business with the farm for some time now, will fly to Oman later this month to see if the heifers arrived in good health.