Cattle behavior in feedlots provides insight into their welfare state. Understanding behavioral indicators helps producers and auditors assess and improve feedlot wellbeing.
Behavioral monitoring of cattle in feedlots provides accessible and informative welfare data that does not require invasive measurement. Lying time, social interaction, activity patterns, and play behavior collectively indicate the welfare state of feedlot populations. Pens where cattle spend less time lying, show more aggression, and engage in less play are welfare-deficient compared to pens where natural behavioral budgets are more closely maintained. The challenge of behavioral monitoring at feedlot scale is being addressed through automated monitoring systems including accelerometers and computer vision that can detect welfare-relevant behavioral changes across large numbers of animals. Incorporating behavioral welfare assessment into feedlot management provides earlier warning of problems than production metrics alone.