5 August 2014 Don’t fence me in? The welfare of cattle in feedlots Feedlotting cattle raises a variety of potential welfare concerns associated with the inability of cattle to express their full repertoire of natural behaviours, such as grazing, when confined in a feedlot environment. Some specific issues have been well investigated such as the appropriate provision of space and feed, how best to manage and limit the effects of heat stress and understanding effective ration feeding to maximise growth and reduce the risks of acidosis. But other welfare issues associated with feedlotting are less easy to address. “Behavioural traits can be difficult to address. When cattle enter the feedlot environment for the first time they are exposed to a significant number of changes in a short period,” said Dr Doyle. “Following arrival, it is common for cattle to be mixed with unfamiliar animals. Mixing groups of cattle can result in a significant increase in agonistic interactions in the period that immediately follows. As well as having to establish new social dynamics, cattle reside in closer proximity to each other than they would naturally, further exacerbating these social changes. “The ability of cattle to remember social structure in large populations and at increased densities is also reduced.” The feedlot environment introduces cattle to a variety of novel situations. The induction processes at the feedlot are novel, as are the change in feed type and learning to eat from troughs that are likely to be unfamiliar to them. “As is common to all prey species, novelty provides a source of fear, and these multiple novel situations combine to create a stressful environment for cattle,” explained Dr Doyle. How individual animals react to these social and environmental changes is partly driven by their temperament. Cattle with good temperament repeatedly demonstrate superior average daily gains and feed conversions compared with cattle with poor temperaments. Temperament can only be modified through genetic selection, but the type of handling and frequency of exposure to situations can influence the behaviour of cattle. “The stockperson relationship is commonly identified as the most important factor influencing the welfare of cattle. This highlights the importance of high quality handling in the feedlot and on‐farm for productivity,” said Dr Doyle. Dr Doyle will outline some novel research looking at the preferences cattle have for feedlot and pasture environments and discuss potential welfare concerns for cattle in a feedlot environment at the Graham Centre Beef Forum being held at the Charles Sturt University Convention Centre on Friday 15 August. The Graham Centre is a research alliance between Charles Sturt University and the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Producers will also hear about managing the challenges of volatile seasons and markets in beef production, online processing technologies for predicting carcass and meat quality and what this means for producers, opportunity and drought feedlots – practical experience and examples of making it work and farmers understanding and approach to control of Pestivirus in eastern Australia. The forum is run in conjunction with Local Land Services Riverina, with sponsorship contributed from Animal Health Australia, National Australia Bank, Regional Development Australia Riverina, Ancare, Riverina Cooperative, More Beef from Pastures and Teys Australia. Register online at www.grahamcentre.net or contact Toni Nugent, E: [email protected] or T: 02 6933 4402. For further details, interviews and photos please contact Toni Nugent, Industry Partnerships and Communications Manager, Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation on mobile 0418 974 775. ‐ends‐ Sponsors: