Enrichment in beef cattle feedlots is a largely unexplored welfare intervention that could reduce boredom-related behaviours and improve wellbeing in confined housing systems.
Cattle in feedlots experience environmental monotony that may constitute a welfare deficit even in the absence of obvious distress signals. Behavioural indicators including reduced play, increased oral stereotypies, and social aggression suggest that the limited feedlot environment fails to meet the full range of behavioural needs of intelligent social animals. Enrichment interventions including scratching brushes and novel substrates are low-cost relative to potential welfare benefit. The relative neglect of feedlot enrichment research compared to other species represents a gap that welfare-conscious producers and researchers should address.