Feedlots concentrate beef cattle at high density for rapid weight gain before slaughter, creating welfare challenges around space, environment, social behaviour and disease management.
Feedlot welfare involves multiple simultaneous challenges - the diet required for rapid growth causes digestive problems; the concentration creates disease risk; the environment may lack shade or adequate lying areas; and social behaviour is constrained by space. Welfare improvement requires addressing these systemically: respiratory disease prevention through vaccination and treatment protocols, acidosis management through step-up grain feeding, lameness surveillance and treatment, and shade provision in hot climates. Feedlot welfare standards exist in some countries but vary considerably in rigour and enforcement.