North American cattle feedlots house millions of cattle in open pens for fattening before slaughter. The welfare of feedlot cattle is shaped by pen design, stocking density, veterinary care, and climate.
Feedlot welfare is characterized by the tension between efficiency-driven production and animal needs. Open dirt pens provide no shelter from extreme weather, and muddy conditions in wet periods prevent normal movement and cause foot problems. Social stress from mixing unfamiliar cattle at arrival causes fighting and injury. BRD, which develops when stress suppresses immune function, causes significant suffering in a large proportion of cattle. Positive welfare in feedlots requires investment in shade, bedding, health monitoring, and pain management that many operations do not prioritize.