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Welfare assessments of low stress handling in finishing feedlot cattle
Over the past 10-15 years low stress handling for beef cattle and the techniques used to achieve it have gradually increased in use and understanding. The goal of low stress handling is to facilitate ease of animal movement as well as improve animal and handler safety. Its use is particularly important when handling finishing feedlot cattle that are heavy (>300 kg) and more prone to injury, exhaustion, heat stress and lameness particularly at marketing when cattle are sorted, loaded/unloaded. Much excellent information is written and available on websites regarding specific techniques. The goal of this talk is to provide a brief over view of relevant low stress handing techniques for finishing cattle with a main focus on how and if these techniques reduce stress both physiologically and behaviorally. Studies assessing the effects of noise, light, visibility of the handler, facility design and prod use on indicators of cattle stress, as well as performance and meat quality have shown significant relationships between these variables. Overall, these studies help to validate the use of low stress techniques. Continued research is required to document the effects that low stress handling has on animal health, welfare and economics in the feedlot industry.
Keywords:
low stress
handling
feedlot
finishing cattle