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The effect of housing system on the behaviour, welfare and performance of beef cattle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

D.E. Lowe ,
R.W.J. Steen ,
V.E. Beattie  and
B.W. Moss
D.E. Lowe
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK
R.W.J. Steen
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
V.E. Beattie
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down BT26 6DR, UK The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
B.W. Moss
Affiliation:
The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 5PX, UK
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Extract

There is increasing public concern about the welfare of farm animals and one of the issues recently raised has been the use of totally slatted floors for rearing and finishing beef cattle. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of using different types of floors in accommodation for beef cattle on the performance, physiology and behaviour of beef cattle.

Sixty Continental-cross steers (mean initial live weight 450 (s.e.m. 2.5) kg) were blocked according to live weight and randomly assigned to one of three floor types, namely fully slatted floors, fully slatted floors covered with perforated rubber mats or solid floors bedded with straw. There were four pens of five animals in each treatment. Daily food intakes and live-weight and carcass weight gains were determined for a mean duration of 139 days. Each individual animal was observed directly, once per week.

Type
Programme
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1999 , 1999 , pp. 53
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1999

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References

Scott, G.B. and Kelly, M. (1989). Cattle cleanliness in different housing systems. Farm Building Progress 95: 21–24.Google Scholar