Feedlot cattle are fed high-energy grain diets that maximise weight gain but cause significant health problems including liver abscesses, acidosis, and respiratory disease that impair welfare throughout the finishing period.
Feedlot environments create significant welfare burdens for cattle. Ruminal acidosis from grain feeding causes abdominal discomfort, reduced feed intake cycles, and chronic liver damage. Liver abscesses are painful and impair overall health despite rarely being diagnosed until slaughter. Respiratory disease causes fever, laboured breathing, nasal discharge, and severe systemic illness in affected animals. Dust, heat, cold, and mud in dry-lot conditions cause environmental welfare problems compounding nutritional stress. The confinement of animals adapted to ranging in barren lots with no shade or shelter represents a fundamental mismatch between environment and biological needs. Higher welfare feedlot management includes shade provision, proper diet transition protocols, and systematic health monitoring.