Beef cattle welfare - risks and assurance

Beef production is widespread all over the world but the legislation regarding welfare area of beef cattle is not specifically addressed and fully implemented. Beef cattle welfare assurance affects not only animals but is also a question of ethics and products quality. Today, it is possible to determine welfare quality state in feedlots through relevant methodology such is Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol applied to fattening cattle. It enables implementation of improvement strategy regarding identified risks and causes of poor welfare. Different literature sources, based on welfare risk assessment, indicate major welfare problems in cattle kept for beef production. According to them, respiratory diseases are usually linked to overstocking, inadequate ventilation, mixing of animals and failure of early diagnosis and treatment. In addition, digestive disorders are associated with intensive concentrate feeding, lack of physically effective fibre in the diet whilst behavioral disorders comes as a consequence of inadequate floor space, and commingling in the feedlot. Particular welfare problems are related to the implementation of animal husbandry methods-mutilation, which expose animals to pain and suffering. This paper gives a review of most important beef cattle welfare topics including recommendations for its assurance and improvement. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR-31053]