Feedlot beef production concentrates large numbers of cattle in confined areas for rapid weight gain, creating specific welfare challenges around space, flooring, health, and social behaviour.
Feedlot environments deprive cattle of the space, substrate, and diet diversity their physiology and behaviour require. Rapid feed transitions cause digestive disturbance and metabolic disease. Lameness from concrete standing surfaces causes chronic pain. Respiratory disease outbreaks affect significant proportions of feedlot populations. The social disruption of mixing cattle from different groups causes fighting and stress. Welfare improvements - including lower stocking density, shade provision, and slower dietary transitions - improve both welfare and production outcomes.