How to Use Simple Guidelines to Improve Both Beef Cattle Welfare and Sustainability: Lessons from the USA

Abstract Twenty-five years ago, a simple scoring system that used five outcome measures was used successfully in large slaughter plants to improve animal welfare. The outcome measures were insensibility, stunning efficacy, vocalization during handling, falling, and electric prod use. Two factors enabled this program to still be successful today. It was simple and easy to understand, and it was applied and enforced by large meat buyers. If a plant did not pass the audit, it could be removed from the approved supplier list. This provided a huge economic incentive to improve practices. For a commercial program to be effective, it must be simple so that auditors employed by buyers can be quickly trained. To make a simplified scoring system effective, the most important key indicators need to be determined. An effective key indicator will identify multiple problems that would severely compromise welfare. Two new problems have emerged relatively recently: Increased lameness in fed beef cattle and congestive heart failure. Both conditions severely compromise both welfare and sustainability. Congestive heart failure can cause the death of fed market-weight cattle shortly before slaughter. Both conditions can be easily assessed at the slaughter plant. Information © The Author 2024