Feedlot beef production concentrates large numbers of cattle in confined areas for finishing on high-energy diets. Welfare challenges include social stress, limited space, and absence of foraging behaviour that targeted enrichment and management changes can substantially reduce.
Feedlot cattle on bare concrete or compacted earth with no environmental variation show elevated cortisol, increased aggression, and stereotypic behaviour indicative of chronic stress and understimulation. Liver abscesses from subacute rumen acidosis cause chronic pain that impairs feed intake. Welfare improvements focus on diet transition management to avoid acidosis, provision of shade and water, enrichment structures, softer flooring surfaces, and stocking densities that allow all animals to lie simultaneously. These changes deliver measurable productivity benefits alongside welfare improvement, building the economic case for adoption.