Evaluation of the welfare of cattle housed in outdoor feedlot pens

Abstract

The use of open outdoor feedlots for housing large numbers of cattle is increasing in many parts of the world. In these systems cattle are kept in large outdoor pens on a soil surface. One major welfare concern associated with this type of housing is keeping cattle clean and preventing muddy conditions. If the annual rainfall exceeds 20 in (51cm). It is more difficult to keep the surface dry. In dry parts of the world with low rainfall, it is much easier to keep cattle clean and dry. Another issue is heat stress, and there are warmer parts of the world where shade may be required. The third issue is handling and vaccinating large numbers of cattle. In the U.S. this is an area where conditions have improved because management is now more aware about animal welfare. There are three major outcome based measurements that should be used to assess cattle welfare in open feedlots. They are: scoring of hide cleanliness, panting scoring for heat stress and numerical scoring of cattle handling practices.