Assessing the Value and Impact of Environmental Enrichment for Extensively Managed Beef Cattle Welfare

Abstract

<p>As the public interest in improving animal welfare increases, industries must align their practices with consumer’s expectations. Environmental enrichment can promote positive welfare, however research regarding pasture-based cattle is limited, likely as is assumed they can perform all desired behaviours as they are housed in ‘naturalistic’ environments. Therefore, <b>Chapter 1</b> of this thesis introduces the concept of enrichment and its impacts on animal welfare, and identifies potential enrichments for beef cattle housed at pasture.</p> <p><b>Chapter 2</b> examines cattle’s preference for a bare pastured paddock compared to a feedlot environment. The study demonstrates that some cattle were still attracted to the feedlot environment, suggesting enrichment should be explored for extensively managed animals.</p> <p><b>Chapter 3</b> determines enrichment preferences of beef steers when housed at pasture. Overall, enrichments allowing for grooming showed the most promise for inclusion in extensive systems, based on both continued use and a relatively high number of displacements. </p> <p><b>Chapter 4</b> determines the impacts of enrichment during yard-weaning for beef cattle born at pasture. The study shows that enrichment influenced short-term behaviours and affective state, but did not have any long-term impacts on body weight or temperament, although external factors such as increased mud and regrouping may have impacted results.</p> <p><b>Chapter 5</b> examines the impact of enrichment loss on beef cattle. The study demonstrates that welfare was impaired when brush access was blocked, although this varied between individuals according to the degree of initial brush use.</p> <p>Finally, <b>Chapter 6</b> provides an overall conclusion which summarises the finding of the thesis and suggests that enrichment could be a valuable tool for improving pasture-based beef cattle welfare, although further work is required before it is readily adopted by industry. </p>