Welfare of Beef Cattle: EFSA Prioritizes Shortcomings and Areas for Action

An opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) identifies the main risk factors for the welfare of beef cattle in Europe: hard flooring, limited access to water, an unbalanced diet, high temperatures inside buildings, a lack of environmental enrichment, little or no access to the outdoors, insufficient space, and grouping animals by age, weight, or sex. The opinion links each risk to corrective measures and animal-based indicators to guide farmers, veterinarians, and health authorities.  

The Farming Practices Assessed

EFSA assesses cattle rearing systems for slaughter at the European level—ranging from group housing of animals for fattening to grazing—and identifies, for each context, the impacts on animal welfare (lameness, respiratory and digestive disorders, skin lesions, prolonged thirst, heat stress, abnormal behaviors, social conflicts), their causes, and the indicators that enable their early detection.  

Scientific Findings and Key Recommendations

Bare concrete slats—which are slippery and hard—increase respiratory and locomotor disorders (lameness) as well as injuries. The opinion highlights the benefits of non-slip flooring and straw bedding to reduce falls and improve lying comfort. An appropriate watering system (multiple water sources, large-capacity waterers, and clean, regularly maintained facilities) is essential for ensuring free access to water and preventing thirst in cattle. Queues or soiled waterers should alert the farmer. Regarding feeding, an excess of concentrates and a lack of fiber in the ration promote diseases such as subacute ruminal acidosis and oral and dental disorders. As a preventive measure, it is therefore recommended to reduce the intake of concentrates and increase the intake of forage. Heat is a major stressor. EFSA recommends providing unlimited access to water, using fans and sprinklers, and gradually acclimating the animals. Increased respiratory rate, panting, and decreased feed intake are indicators of heat stress that should be monitored. The lack of environmental enrichment and access to the outdoors limits the expression of species-specific behaviors. Installing equipment that promotes comfort, play, or exploration (brushes, etc.), providing access to grazing, and allowing freedom of movement reduce behavioral problems. Available space and stocking density determine whether cattle can lie down or stand up without restrictions on movement. Providing more space increases lying time and allows animals to maintain greater distance from one another, thereby reducing group stress. Mixing herds to form uniform groups based on criteria such as age, weight, sex, or health status disrupts the social hierarchy and leads to numerous conflicts during the regrouping period. This practice causes separation stress, reduced group cohesion, disturbances in lying behavior, and disruptions in feeding and drinking due to limited access to resources—particularly for submissive animals—as well as increased vulnerability to disease.  

Welfare Indicators: From Theory to Practice

The opinion favors animal-based indicators for welfare assessment in beef cattle production: prevalence of lameness, skin lesions, aggressive behaviors, lines at the water trough, animal cleanliness scores, body condition scores, panting scores during hot weather, etc. These indicators, monitored at defined intervals and integrated into corrective action plans, provide a practical and comparable benchmark across farms. By compiling evidence, indicators, and corrective measures, EFSA provides a framework for drafting specifications, conducting farm audits, and training farmers. The opinion is accompanied by a technical report detailing the methods and sources, which is useful for inspection agencies in harmonizing practices.  

Limitations and Research Needs

The heterogeneity of European livestock production systems and climate change necessitate local adaptations. More precise quantitative thresholds for temperature, ventilation, and stocking density, as well as the evaluation of digital solutions (such as automatic detection of lameness or labored breathing), are identified as avenues for progress to be explored. The welfare of beef cattle depends primarily on measurable criteria: safe and comfortable flooring, clean water available ad libitum, a balanced diet, protection from heat, freedom of movement and environmental enrichment, adequate space, and social stability.