Beef cattle welfare: Risks and assurance

Abstract

Beef production is widespread all over the world but the legislation regarding welfare area of beef cattle is not specifically addressed and fully implemented. Beef cattle welfare assurance affects not only animals but is also a question of ethics and products quality. Today, it is possible to determine welfare quality state in feedlots through relevant methodology such is Welfare Quality®Assessment Protocol applied to fattening cattle. It enables implementation of improvement strategy regarding identified risks and causes of poor welfare. Different literature sources, based on welfare risk assessment, indicate major welfare problems in cattle kept for beef production. According to them, respiratory diseases are usually linked to overstocking, inadequate ventilation, mixing of animals and failure of early diagnosis and treatment. In addition, digestive disorders are associated with intensive concentrate feeding, lack of physically effective fiber in the diet whilst behavioral disorders comes as a consequence of inadequate floor space, and commingling in the feedlot. Particular welfare problems are related to the implementation of animal husbandry methods mutilation, which expose animals to pain and suffering. This paper gives a review of most important beef cattle welfare topics including recommendations for its assurance and improvement.

Proizvodnja junećeg mesa je široko rasprostranjena u svetu ali je zakonodavstvo koje se odnosi na oblast zaštite dobrobiti tovnih goveda još uvek nedovoljno specifično i ne primenjuje se u potpunosti. Obezbeđenje dobrobiti tovnih goveda od značaja je samim životinjama, a istovremeno je i pitanje etike i kvaliteta proizvoda. Danas je moguće utvrditi stanje kvaliteta dobrobiti u tovilištima putem pouzdane metodologije kao što je Protokol za ocenu kvaliteta dobrobiti tovne junadi. On omogućava primenu strategija unapređenja dobrobiti na farmama u odnosu na utvrđene rizike i uzroke loše dobrobiti. Različiti literaturni izvori, zasnovani na metodi ocene rizika, ukazuju na ključne probleme dobrobiti tovne junadi. Respiratorne bolesti obično su u vezi sa prenaseljenim objektima, neodgovarajućom ventilacijom, mešanjem životinja i neblagovremenom dijagnostikom i lečenjem obolelih životinja. Oboljenja digestivnog sistema nastaju kao posledica intenzivne ishrane koncentrovanim hranivima, u nedostatku vlaknastih hraniva. Neodgovarajuci podovi u objektima, mešanje životinja iz različitih grupa/uzrasta i loš postupak odgajivača dovode do poremećaja ponašanja i socijalnog stresa. Posebni problemi dobrobiti odnose se na primenu zootehničkih metoda-mutilacija, kojima se životinje izlažu bolu i patnji.