The final stage of beef production in finishing units involves a range of systems with very different welfare profiles for individual animals.
Welfare in beef finishing varies enormously depending on system. Grass-finished cattle can express natural behaviours including grazing and roaming, with minimal respiratory and metabolic disease. Indoor finishing systems on slatted concrete without bedding cause joint lesions, hock damage, and restrict lying behaviour. Grain-intensive finishing produces high growth rates but is associated with acidosis, liver abscesses, and bloat, all painful conditions. Straw-bedded indoor systems offer comfort, natural lying behaviour, and effective thermoregulation. The welfare case for extensive, lower-intensity finishing systems is clear, though economic and land use pressures drive intensification.