Page 197 - The Welfare of Cattle

174 the WeLfare of CattLe

until weaned (removed from mother). Calves are typically weaned at approximately 6–7 months
of age (approximately 220–260 kg). After weaning, the majority of calves (male and female) are
transported to a yearling/stocker operation or to a backgrounding feedlot operation, often after
going through an ownership change. A proportion of females are retained on the commercial cow-
calf operation as replacements for older, less-productive cows. Yearling/stocker operators typically
graze weaned calves on pasture or crop residue (e.g., wheat pasture) for a prescribed amount of
time to produce a heavier calf (350–400 kg) that is approximately 12 months old for entry into a
finishing feedlot operation. Alternatively, weaned calves can enter a backgrounding feedlot opera-
tion after being weaned. In a backgrounding feedlot operation the cattle are housed in feedlot
pens and fed a growing-type feedlot diet until they reach an approximate weight of approximately
350–400 kg. Depending on economic factors (feed price, crop residue availability, beef supply
and demand, cattle price, etc.) weaned calves (particularly calves with heavier body weights) can
bypass the yearling/stocker or backgrounding feedlot operations and be directly placed into a
finishing feedlot where they are fed a growing diet for 30–60 days and then transitioned to a high
grain-based finishing diet until harvest. At the end of either the yearling/stocker or backgrounding
feedlot segments of beef cattle production, the cattle are moved into a finishing feedlot. During the
finishing feedlot portion of beef production, cattle are typically fed a high-energy grain-based diet.
Cattle will remain in the finishing feedlot approximately 130–220 days depending on their entry
body weight and level of backfat at the time of harvest. When the cattle reach an approximate body
weight of 600–780 kg, they are transported to an abattoir (packer segment of beef production) and
slaughtered. The beef products are then sold to retailers and food service companies for purchase
by consumers.

aN OVerVIeW OF aNIMaL WeLFare IMPLICatIONS
OF BeeF INDUStrY PraCtICeS

An increasing number of consumers are making animal product purchasing decisions based on
how animals were raised and cared for. This decision is, in most cases, based on labeling claims
made on packaged products, point of purchase materials offered, and/or conversations with those
selling the product. This issue is driven by consumers wanting to know more about how their food
is raised and where it comes from. For the average consumer with no baseline knowledge, there
appears to be a need for verification and validation that animals received appropriate care during
their lifetimes and were treated as humanely as possible. As consumers want more information
about their food products, and as beef product brands are working to differentiate themselves, the
third-party verification of these credence attributes (i.e., those claims made about a product that
can’t be determined by simply looking at the product) continues to be in demand. Scrutiny over the
use of traditional cattle industry practices (i.e., dehorning, castration, and branding) and whether
pain mitigation is provided to cattle undergoing these procedures is increasing. Additional practices
including abrupt removal at weaning and long-distance transportation are also being scrutinized,
but at a lesser extent.

the FIVe FreeDOMS

Much of the discussion about welfare of livestock over the years can be traced back to an early
report (later known as the “Brambell Report”) written in 1965 by a British governmental com-
mittee established as a result of widespread concern over the welfare of animals raised in inten-
sive livestock production systems. This committee identified five “freedoms” that animals raised