US beef feedlots confine millions of cattle in open-air pens for the final months of their lives. Understanding welfare challenges in these systems identifies improvements needed for better animal outcomes.
US beef feedlot cattle face welfare challenges that differ from European indoor systems but are equally significant. Summer heat stress in exposed pens without shade causes acute suffering during heatwaves, with heat-related mortality events occurring annually in southern states. The high-concentrate diet needed for rapid growth predisposes cattle to acidosis, liver abscesses and laminitis. Social stress from the management of large groups of mixed-background cattle in high-density pens causes aggression injuries. Feedlot conditions during wet weather, with deep mud around water and feed facilities, create physical discomfort and disease risk that are avoidable through better pen design and drainage.