Common husbandry systems and practices for keeping beef cattle

Abstract

This Technical report, prepared at the request of the European Commission, describes common husbandry systems and practices for keeping beef cattle in the EU. It complements the EFSA Scientific opinion on the welfare of beef cattle, which was published separately. Using data from the scientific literature and information provided by EFSA stakeholders in an EFSA’s Public Call for Evidence, it identifies the beef cattle categories of interest (suckler cows, suckler calves, heifers, fattening cattle, breeding bulls, and cull dairy cows), and describes main productive cycles, housing practices, and feeding strategies. Suckler cows raise calves until weaning (at 5–11 months), primarily in systems with pasture access. Spring calving is the most common practice, though autumn and non-seasonal calving also occur. During winter, suckler herds are mainly kept in loose-housing with open straw bedded pens and fed a forage-based diet. Fully indoor and year-round pasture systems are less frequent. Fattening cattle originate from both suckler and dairy herds, are fattened for 6–15 months and are slaughtered between 12 and 30 months of age. They are usually housed indoors on slatted or solid concrete floors with bedding, though in some cases they are given access to pasture or kept in outdoor feedlots. Their diet shifts from fibre- and protein-rich feeds during the growing phase to energy-rich feeds during finishing. Breeding bulls used for natural mating are usually kept in suckler systems with pasture access, whereas bulls used for artificial insemination (AI) are housed in AI stations. Cull dairy cows, when fattened before slaughter, are typically fed either indoors or on pasture. The welfare implications of these various husbandry systems and practices are further assessed for each animal category in the EFSA Scientific opinion on the welfare of beef cattle on farms, which was published separately.