Farm Animals

Cattle Winter Housing Welfare and Straw Yards

Welfare benefits of straw yards versus concrete slats in overwintered cattle housing.

Key Facts

Straw yard housing allows cattle to express natural behaviours including lying in deep litter
Concrete slats cause hock injuries and restrict comfortable lying time
Deep straw bedding has insulative properties important in cold weather
Straw yards require more labour but achieve better animal-based welfare indicators
Many UK beef cattle are overwintered in straw yards as standard practice

Welfare Considerations

Straw yard housing delivers significantly better welfare outcomes for overwintered cattle than slatted or concrete-floored alternatives, allowing more natural behaviour expression.

What You Can Do

Support farmer access to straw as a welfare priority in agricultural policy
Advocate for bedded housing requirements in beef welfare standards
Choose British beef from farms using straw yard housing where possible