Feedlot systems confine beef cattle in large groups on bare ground, creating specific welfare challenges around behaviour, social dynamics, and environmental enrichment.
Feedlot welfare is often assessed primarily through mortality and disease metrics, but behavioural welfare deserves equal attention. Cattle are highly motivated to explore, graze, and engage in social behaviour - activities severely restricted in high-density feedlot environments. The absence of enrichment, combined with the social disruption of mixing, creates chronic frustration and acute aggression. Ground condition, particularly mud in wet seasons, adds physical discomfort. Simple improvements - shade, water access, dust control, and stable social groups - deliver measurable welfare benefits at modest cost.