Welfare of beef cattle
Abstract This Scientific Opinion provides an assessment of beef cattle welfare focusing on risks related to flooring, water access, nutrition and feeding, high environmental temperatures, lack of environmental enrichment, lack of outdoor access, minimum space allowance and mixing practices. In addit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | EFSA Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9518 |
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| author | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Søren Saxmose Nielsen Julio Alvarez Anette Boklund Sabine Dippel Fernanda Dorea Jordi Figuerola Mette S. Herskin Virginie Michel Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca Eleonora Nannoni Romolo Nonno Anja B. Riber Karl Stahl Jan Arend Stegeman Hans‐Hermann Thulke Frank Tuyttens Giulio Cozzi Ute Knierim Sònia Martí Siobhan Mullan Sean Ashe Giulia Cecchinato Eliana Lima Olaf Mosbach‐Schulz Marika Vitali Martina Benedetta Zanna Christoph Winckler |
| author_facet | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Søren Saxmose Nielsen Julio Alvarez Anette Boklund Sabine Dippel Fernanda Dorea Jordi Figuerola Mette S. Herskin Virginie Michel Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca Eleonora Nannoni Romolo Nonno Anja B. Riber Karl Stahl Jan Arend Stegeman Hans‐Hermann Thulke Frank Tuyttens Giulio Cozzi Ute Knierim Sònia Martí Siobhan Mullan Sean Ashe Giulia Cecchinato Eliana Lima Olaf Mosbach‐Schulz Marika Vitali Martina Benedetta Zanna Christoph Winckler |
| author_sort | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This Scientific Opinion provides an assessment of beef cattle welfare focusing on risks related to flooring, water access, nutrition and feeding, high environmental temperatures, lack of environmental enrichment, lack of outdoor access, minimum space allowance and mixing practices. In addition, risks related to pasture and feedlots, weaning of suckler calves, mutilations (castration, disbudding, dehorning and tail docking), and to breeding practices (hypermuscularity, dystocia and caesarean sections, polledness, maternal ability and temperament) are assessed. Decision‐making criteria for the euthanasia of cull cows are also addressed. A selection of animal‐based measures (ABMs) suitable for collection at slaughterhouses is proposed to monitor on‐farm welfare of fattening cattle. Recommendations to improve the welfare of housed fattening cattle include increasing space allowance and feeding more roughage in relation to current practice, and promoting the use of well‐managed bedded solid floors. Provision of enrichment such as brushes and roughage and an outdoor loafing area for housed cattle are recommended. Cattle kept outdoors should have access to a dry lying area and sufficient shade. Water should be provided ad libitum via large open water surfaces, and the use of nipple drinkers should be avoided. Mixing of unfamiliar cattle should be avoided and groups should be kept stable. Mutilations should be abstained from, but if carried out, a combination of analgesia and anaesthesia should be applied regardless of the calf's age. Early weaning of suckler calves should be avoided (< 6 months). Homozygous double‐muscled animals should be excluded from breeding. Selected ABMs for collection at slaughterhouses to monitor some of the highly relevant welfare consequences experienced by fattening cattle on farm are body condition, carcass fat levels, carcass condemnation, lung lesions and skin lesions. Key data gaps identified are thresholds for dietary fibre, ABM thresholds for fitness for transport and potential long‐term effects of mutilations on pain sensitisation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e23ee08bef8d42849d78696162727bb7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1831-4732 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EFSA Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-e23ee08bef8d42849d78696162727bb72025-08-20T03:58:36ZengWileyEFSA Journal1831-47322025-07-01237n/an/a10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9518Welfare of beef cattleEFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)Søren Saxmose NielsenJulio AlvarezAnette BoklundSabine DippelFernanda DoreaJordi FiguerolaMette S. HerskinVirginie MichelMiguel Angel Miranda ChuecaEleonora NannoniRomolo NonnoAnja B. RiberKarl StahlJan Arend StegemanHans‐Hermann ThulkeFrank TuyttensGiulio CozziUte KnierimSònia MartíSiobhan MullanSean AsheGiulia CecchinatoEliana LimaOlaf Mosbach‐SchulzMarika VitaliMartina Benedetta ZannaChristoph WincklerAbstract This Scientific Opinion provides an assessment of beef cattle welfare focusing on risks related to flooring, water access, nutrition and feeding, high environmental temperatures, lack of environmental enrichment, lack of outdoor access, minimum space allowance and mixing practices. In addition, risks related to pasture and feedlots, weaning of suckler calves, mutilations (castration, disbudding, dehorning and tail docking), and to breeding practices (hypermuscularity, dystocia and caesarean sections, polledness, maternal ability and temperament) are assessed. Decision‐making criteria for the euthanasia of cull cows are also addressed. A selection of animal‐based measures (ABMs) suitable for collection at slaughterhouses is proposed to monitor on‐farm welfare of fattening cattle. Recommendations to improve the welfare of housed fattening cattle include increasing space allowance and feeding more roughage in relation to current practice, and promoting the use of well‐managed bedded solid floors. Provision of enrichment such as brushes and roughage and an outdoor loafing area for housed cattle are recommended. Cattle kept outdoors should have access to a dry lying area and sufficient shade. Water should be provided ad libitum via large open water surfaces, and the use of nipple drinkers should be avoided. Mixing of unfamiliar cattle should be avoided and groups should be kept stable. Mutilations should be abstained from, but if carried out, a combination of analgesia and anaesthesia should be applied regardless of the calf's age. Early weaning of suckler calves should be avoided (< 6 months). Homozygous double‐muscled animals should be excluded from breeding. Selected ABMs for collection at slaughterhouses to monitor some of the highly relevant welfare consequences experienced by fattening cattle on farm are body condition, carcass fat levels, carcass condemnation, lung lesions and skin lesions. Key data gaps identified are thresholds for dietary fibre, ABM thresholds for fitness for transport and potential long‐term effects of mutilations on pain sensitisation.https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9518animal‐based measuresbeef cattleindoormutilationswelfare |
| spellingShingle | EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Søren Saxmose Nielsen Julio Alvarez Anette Boklund Sabine Dippel Fernanda Dorea Jordi Figuerola Mette S. Herskin Virginie Michel Miguel Angel Miranda Chueca Eleonora Nannoni Romolo Nonno Anja B. Riber Karl Stahl Jan Arend Stegeman Hans‐Hermann Thulke Frank Tuyttens Giulio Cozzi Ute Knierim Sònia Martí Siobhan Mullan Sean Ashe Giulia Cecchinato Eliana Lima Olaf Mosbach‐Schulz Marika Vitali Martina Benedetta Zanna Christoph Winckler Welfare of beef cattle EFSA Journal animal‐based measures beef cattle indoor mutilations welfare |
| title | Welfare of beef cattle |
| title_full | Welfare of beef cattle |
| title_fullStr | Welfare of beef cattle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Welfare of beef cattle |
| title_short | Welfare of beef cattle |
| title_sort | welfare of beef cattle |
| topic | animal‐based measures beef cattle indoor mutilations welfare |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9518 |
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