Teresa Collins

Feedlot cattle were assessed for the consistency of enrichment brush use, higher incidence of natural behaviour, and less agonistic or abnormal behaviour compared to cattle without the brush. Cattle were assigned to one of two treatment pens, (1) access to a vertical grooming brush (EB; n = 89) or (2) no access control (CON; n = 80), for a period of 107 days. A Principal Component (PC) analysis was used on pen-side demeanour scores. Statistical analysis on pen-side behaviour and demeanour PCs tested for impact of treatment, day, and time. Frequency of brush use and the duration of each cow–brush interaction did not decrease over the assessment period. Self-grooming and allogrooming did not differ between treatments and were similar in frequency to brush grooming, resulting in total grooming being higher in the EB treatment group (p < 0.05). Cattle in the EB pen were scored as more content (PC 2; p < 0.05) and sociable (PC 3; p < 0.01), while CON cattle were scored as more anxious (PC 3; p < 0.05). Overall, this study suggests that the provision of a brush for enrichment enhanced lot-fed cattle wellbeing and permitted prolonged engagement, making it an effective enrichment device.

There is increasing interest from cattle lot-feeders in the use of shade to mitigate the effects of a potential heat stress event, though it is unclear whether the reported benefits of shade in previous studies conducted in more high-risk heat stress zones are pertinent in cooler temperate zones. The objectives of this study were to measure the welfare and performance benefits of shade provision for lot-fed cattle at a commercial feedlot located in a mild heat-stress risk zone in Western Australia. Six blocks of black Angus (Bos taurus) steers were inducted into the feedlot over six time-windows across a southern hemisphere summer, with 80 cattle per block housed in a partially shaded pen (providing 3.125 m2 of shade per animal) and 80 in an unshaded pen. Parameters assessed in 960 cattle over the first 70 days in the feedlot included weight gain, feed intake, and physiological and behavioral indices of overall health and welfare. Over the months of October through to May in which the experiment was conducted, shaded cattle demonstrated a modest 0.13 kg overall increase in average daily gain across the 70-day feedlot period (P = 0.13). There was no difference in dry matter intake between any block or treatment. The physiological and behavioral markers of health and welfare revealed that, even during to hottest times of the experiment, the cattle were quite able to thermoregulate, via increased panting and seeking shade (if available), to maintain physiological homeostasis. In addition, we measured the effect of heat stress and shade provision on the affective state of the cattle. Qualitative behavioral assessment was used to indicate that the cattle in the ‘no stress’ temperature humidity index (THI) category and the shaded cattle in the ‘moderate stress’ THI category displayed the most positive demeanor (P < 0.05), being described as more ‘settled and sociable’, while the unshaded cattle in the ‘moderate stress’ THI category and all cattle in the ‘severe stress’ THI category were described as more ‘agitated/anxious’ (P < 0.05). Overall, the findings from the present study suggest that there are definite welfare and modest performance benefits associated with providing cattle with shade in summer in a feedlot situated in a temperate climatic zone.

Farm animal welfare assessment protocols enable the capture and reporting of information to address any concerns raised by the industry or the public alike. To underpin commercial protocols, research to address validity, repeatability, and practicality, including studies to determine appropriate sampling methodology, is needed. For protocols that adopt an animal outcome-based approach, including the proposed protocol for Australian lot-fed cattle, appropriate sampling is required to ensure validity of observations. The aim of this study was to determine optimal timing and frequency of pen-side assessments. The proposed welfare assessment protocol was applied at four time points for 208 sample pens at four feedlots during a seven-month period. To determine the effect of time of day, the number of behavioural measures were reduced using Principal Component (PC) analysis, and then a Generalized Linear Mixed Model applied to consider relevant resource and environmental factors. Three primary components of cattle behaviour and demeanour were identified. PC 1 (17.61% of total variation in the observed cattle behaviour) related to activity and rest, with cattle most active at 08:00 h and 17:00 h, and least active at 14:00 h. PC 2 (10.15% variation) related to engagement with environment and feeding. At 17:00 h more cattle were observed to express positive welfare outcomes, such as engagement and feeding behaviours. PC 3 (7.07% variation) captured behaviour and demeanour that reflected cattle mental state, but minimal variation was identified related to time of day. PC 1 to 3 varied by feedlot and visit number, and PC 1 scores also differed by cattle feeding program. Results indicate that to capture variation in cattle activity and rest, repeated assessments at two key time points; early-morning and early afternoon, are required for accurate pen-side welfare assessments of lot-fed cattle. These findings suggest further refinement of the welfare assessment protocol for lot-fed cattle is recommended to facilitate commercial adoption.

Animal welfare monitoring protocols currently used by the export industry rely on input measures relating to environment and resources and animal morbidity and mortality. Behavioural outcomes are recognised as important indicators of welfare however, it is unknown how many animals should be sampled, and the sampling frequency required. This talk outlines a project employing a suite of measures that recorded welfare conditions of cattle and sheep in the Australian livestock export supply chain. Four cattle and three sheep consignments were assessed at different stages of the journey by a pen side observer. Data indicates assessments should be made from different lines of livestock and from various ship locations that differ in environmental conditions. Multiple daily sampling is required to show cattle activity and rest, and responses to conditions. Decisions about management and livestock suitability can be better informed by taking a whole of supply chain approach to reporting on animal-based outcomes for livestock exported from Australia.

Societal concerns about sustainability and animal welfare in commercial livestock production systems exist, with over one million cattle on-feed in Australia. Despite the welfare challenges, no recognised welfare assessment protocol for the industry exists. This paper describes an industry-driven welfare benchmarking framework for lot-fed cattle that was piloted in eight feedlots across three states. A pen-side monthly assessment strategy including forty-eight measures capturing the health, behaviour and demeanour of livestock was developed. Analysis compared the environmental and management measures on cattle behaviour within home pens. The timing of data collection (early morning and mid-afternoon) and sample size (2 pens and 3 replicate pens, per feed program and breed) were recommended with variability in some outcomes (e.g., cattle activity and rest) found between visits, feedlot, observation time, and feed program. Adoption of an evidence-based welfare benchmarking framework enables producers to track their performance over time, and the industry to further drive animal welfare improvement.

The prevention of pregnancy is desirable for female cattle destined for sale in the northern Australian rangelands for both economic and welfare reasons. Controlled access to bulls is often not feasible, nor are any non-surgical methods currently available. Many females are therefore surgically spayed. This study describes a technique for uterine tube resection (UTR), which leaves the ovaries intact and is performed using a vaginal approach, and compares the outcomes from 70 Brahman cows subjected to the procedure with 60 heifers spayed using the dropped ovary technique. The animals were monitored for 10 days following the surgery. There were no mortalities, and two animals were treated for illnesses after the UTRs and recovered. The animals subjected to both surgical procedures showed signs of pelvic discomfort and mild inflammation during recovery. The cows gained an average of 9.3 kg (SD 14.5 kg) of weight over the 10 days of the study compared to the spayed heifers, which lost 3.5 kg (SD 13.3 kg), with 19 and 63% of the animals in each of the groups losing weight, respectively. Uterine tube resection can be considered as a viable alternative to surgical spaying.