Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T02:36:26.640Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Floor quality and space allowance in intensive beef production: a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

B Wechsler
B Wechsler*
Affiliation:
Swiss Federal Veterinary Office, Centre for Proper Housing of Ruminants and Pigs, Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon Research Station ART, 8356 Ettenhausen, Switzerland
*
email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In intensive beef production in Europe, finishing beef cattle are typically reared in pens with fully slatted floors and low space allowances. These housing conditions were questioned in a report published by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare in 2001. The report concluded that the welfare of finishing bulls and steers is at risk if they are housed on fully slatted concrete or wooden floors or not provided with adequate floor space. The aim of the present paper is to review and update scientific evidence on the effects of floor quality and space allowance on the welfare of finishing beef cattle. It is shown that the recommendations made by the Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare are still valid, and are well supported by studies published over the last 10 years. Furthermore, results of several recent studies testing fully slatted floors with rubber covering indicate that this type of flooring is an acceptable alternative to concrete slats, with positive effects on animal behaviour and leg lesions. Consequently, a phasing-out of housing systems with fully slatted concrete floors is suggested. With respect to floor space, the studies reviewed here support the notion that it is essential to enforce minimum standards resulting in increased space allowances for intensive beef production systems.

Keywords

animal welfarebehaviourfinishing beef cattlefloor qualitylegislationspace allowance
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 20 , Issue 4 , November 2011 , pp. 497 - 503
Copyright
© 2011 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Absmanner, E, Rouha-Mülleder, C, Scharl, T, Leisch, F and Troxler, J 2009 Effects of different housing systems on the behaviour of beef bulls: an on-farm assessment on Austrian farms. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 118: 12–19CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cerchiaro, I, Contiero, B and Mantovani, R 2005 Analysis of factors affecting health status of animals under intensive beef production systems. Italian Journal of Animal Science 4(S3): 122–124CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cozzi, G, Brscic, M and Gottardo, F 2009 Main critical factors affecting the welfare of beef cattle and veal calves raised under intensive rearing systems in Italy: a review. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8(S1): 67–80CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottardo, F, Brscic, M, Contiero, B, Cozzi, G and Andrighetto, I 2009 Towards the creation of a welfare assessment system in intensive beef cattle farms. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8(S1): 325–342CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottardo, F, Cozzi, G, Preciso, S and Ravarotto, L 2003a Effect of type of floor and space at the manger on growth performance and feeding behaviour of beef cattle. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2(S1): 322–324Google Scholar
Gottardo, F, Ricci, R, Fregolent, G, Ravarotto, L and Cozzi, G 2003b Welfare and meat quality of beef cattle housed on two types of floors with the same space allowance. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2: 243–253CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottardo, F, Ricci, R, Preciso, S, Ravarotto, L and Cozzi, G 2004 Effect of the manger space on welfare and meat quality of beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 89: 277–285CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graunke, KL, Telezhenko, E, Hessle, A, Bergsten, C and Loberg, JM 2011 Does rubber flooring improve welfare and production in growing bulls in fully slatted floor pens? Animal Welfare 20: 173–183Google Scholar
Gupta, S, Earley, B and Crowe, MA 2007 Pituitary, adrenal, immune and performance responses of mature Holstein x Friesian bulls housed on slatted floors at various space allowances. The Veterinary Journal 173: 594–604CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gygax, L, Schulze Westerath, H, Kuhlicke, J, Wechsler, B and Mayer, C 2005 Assessing cubicle dimensions for finishing bulls based on animal behaviour and cleanliness. Animal Science 81: 423–430CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gygax, L, Siegwart, R and Wechsler, B 2007b Effects of space allowance on the behaviour and cleanliness of finishing bulls kept in pens with fully slatted rubber coated flooring. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 107: 1–12CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gygax, L, Mayer, C, Schulze Westerath, H, Friedli, K and Wechsler, B 2007a On-farm assessment of the lying behaviour of finishing bulls kept in housing systems with different floor qualities. Animal Welfare 16: 205–208Google Scholar
Herva, T, Virtala, AM, Huuskonen, A, Saatkamp, HW and Peltoniemi, O 2009 On-farm welfare and estimated daily carcass gain of slaughtered bulls. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 59: 104–120Google Scholar
Hickey, MC, Earley, B and Fisher, AD 2003 The effect of floor type and space allowance on welfare indicators of finishing steers. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 42: 89–100Google Scholar
Lowe, DE, Steen, RWJ and Beattie, VE 2001a Preferences of housed finishing beef cattle for different floor types. Animal Welfare 10: 395–404Google Scholar
Lowe, DE, Steen, RWJ, Beattie, VE and Moss, BW 2001b The effects of floor type systems on the performance, cleanliness, carcass composition and meat quality of housed finishing beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 69: 33–42CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mayer, C, Schulze Westerath, H, Thio, T, Ossent, P, Gygax, L, Friedli, K and Wechsler, B 2005 Spaltenböden mit Gummiauflage für Mastbullen: Auswirkungen auf das Liegeverhalten und Veränderungen am Integument und an den Klauen. KTBL-Schrift 437 pp 33–41. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany. [Title translation: Rubber top-layer on concrete slats for fattening bulls: Effects on the lying behaviour and lesions on the integument and the claws]Google Scholar
Platz, S, Ahrens, F, Bahrs, E, Nüske, S and Erhard, MH 2007 Association between floor type and behaviour, skin lesions, and claw dimensions in group-housed fattening bulls. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 80: 209–221CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ruis-Heutinck, LFM, Smits, MCJ, Smits, AC and Heeres, JJ 2000 Effects of floor type and floor area on behaviour and carpal joint lesions in beef bulls. In: Blokhuis HJ, Ekkel ED and Wechsler B (eds) Improving Health and Welfare in Animal Production. EAAP Publication No 102 pp 29–36. Wageningen Pers: Wageningen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Schrader, L, Roth, H-R, Winterling, C, Brodmann, N, Langhans, W, Geyer, H and Graf, B 2001 The occurrence of tail tip alterations in fattening bulls kept under different husbandry conditions. Animal Welfare 10: 119–130Google Scholar
Schulze Westerath, H, Gygax, L and Mayer, C 2005 Liegeverhalten von Mastbullen in Liegeboxenlaufställen mit weichen Matten. KTBL-Schrift 437 pp 42–50. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany. [Title translation: Lying behaviour of fattening bulls kept in cubicles with soft lying mats]Google Scholar
Schulze Westerath, H, Meier, T, Gygax, L, Wechsler, B and Mayer, C 2006 Effects of the inclination of the lying area in cubicles on the behaviour and dirtiness of fattening bulls. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 97: 122–133CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schulze Westerath, H, Gygax, L, Mayer, C and Wechsler, B 2007 Leg lesions and cleanliness of finishing bulls kept in housing systems with different lying area surfaces. The Veterinary Journal 174: 77–85CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare 2001 The Welfare of Cattle Kept for Beef Production. European Commission, Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General, SANCO.C.2/AH/R22/2000Google Scholar
Siegwart, R, Gygax, L and Wechsler, B 2005 Wird das Wohlbefinden von Mastbullen auf gummierten Spaltenböden mit vergrössertem Platzangebot erhöht? KTBL-Schrift 441 pp 76–85. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany. [Title translation: Does increased space allowance enhance animal welfare in finishing bulls kept on rubber coated slatted floors?]Google Scholar
Sundrum, A and Rubelowski, I 2001 The meaningfulness of design criteria in relation to the mortality of fattening bulls. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science Supplement 30: 48–52Google Scholar
Tessitore, E, Boukha, A, Guzzo, L and Cozzi, G 2009a Effects of pen floor on clinical and behavioural parameters of newly received beef cattle fattened under intensive rearing systems. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8(S3): 190–192CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tessitore, E, Brscic, M, Boukha, A, Prevedello, P and Cozzi, G 2009b Effects of pen floor and class of live weight on behavioural and clinical parameters of beef cattle. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8(S2): 658–660CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thio, T, Gygax, L, Friedli, K, Mayer, C and Ossent, P 2005 Einfluss von gummimodifizierten Spaltenböden auf die Klauengesundheit von Mastbullen. Tierärztliche Praxis 33: 77–84. [Title translation: Effect of rubber topped concrete slatted floors on claw health in fattening bulls]Google Scholar
Zerbe, F, Mayer, C and Kjaer, JB 2008a Einfluss von Spaltenbodenqualität und Flächenangebot auf das Vorkommen von Verletzungen der Schwanzspitzen und am Integument bei Mastbullen. KTBL-Schrift 471 pp 47–57. KTBL: Darmstadt, Germany. [Title translation: Floor type and stocking density effects on injuries to tail tip and integument in fattening bulls]Google Scholar
Zerbe, F, Niemann, G, Scheithauer, E and Mayer, C 2008b Mastbullenhaltung - Alternativen in der Spaltenbodenhaltung. Deutsche Tierärztliche Wochenschrift 115: 118–122. [Title translation: Fattening bulls: alternative housing on slatted floors]Google Scholar