Feedlots confine beef cattle in high-density outdoor pens for rapid weight gain before slaughter. Improving conditions and management in feedlots has significant welfare implications for millions of cattle.
Feedlot production concentrates welfare risks in specific environmental and management domains. The absence of shade in most US feedlots exposes cattle to dangerous heat stress during summer months, causing acute discomfort and thousands of deaths annually. Respiratory disease is amplified by the stress of feedlot entry, commingling of unfamiliar cattle, and the dusty, crowded environment. Compacted dirt surfaces cause lameness. Welfare improvement in feedlots is achievable through shade provision, respiratory disease prevention protocols, flooring improvements, and lower stocking densities — but these changes require both regulatory pressure and market incentives to drive adoption at scale. Consumer demand for certified higher welfare beef can provide the commercial signal needed.