Comparison of the welfare of beef cattle in housed and grazing systems: hormones, health, and behaviour.

ABSTRACT: Animal welfare encompasses all aspects of an animal's life and the interactions between animals. Consequently, welfare must be measured across a variety of factors that consider aspects such as health, behaviour, and mental state. Decisions regarding housing and grazing are central to farm management. In this study, two beef cattle systems and their herds were compared from weaning to slaughter across numerous indicators. One herd ("HH") were continuously housed, the other ("HG") were housed only during winter. Inspections of animals were conducted to assess body condition, cleanliness, diarrhoea, hairlessness, nasal discharge, and ocular discharge. Hair and nasal mucus samples were taken for quantification of cortisol and serotonin. Qualitative behaviour assessments (QBA) were also conduc

SUBMITTER: Cooke AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7614983 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature