Access to pasture is fundamental to cattle welfare, providing opportunities for natural behaviour, exercise, and social interaction that indoor systems cannot replicate.
Pasture access is not merely a production preference but a genuine welfare need for cattle. Cows show exuberant positive behaviour upon first spring turnout, leaping and running in ways rarely seen at other times. Grazing allows natural foraging, walking, and complex social interactions. Indoor confinement year-round is associated with increased lameness, stereotypic behaviours, and physiological stress markers. The welfare benefits of outdoor access are clear from both behavioural and health evidence.