Cattle Raised In Feedlot Essay
Many people believe that raising cattle in a feedlot is inhumane. The truth of the matter is that feedlots are necessary in order to provide the world with the beef it is demanding. Cattle are usually raised on pasture for the first 12-18 months of their life. After this time they are moved to a feedlot for anywhere from 3-6 months. This time in the feedlot is allowed for the animal to reach market weight. Misconceptions are that cattle raised in feedlots are not cared for properly, however these cattle are fed a high quality diet, treated in the best way possible, and are required to feed the world.
Cattle raised in a feedlot environment are fed a very high quality diet in order to gain the necessary weight. The cattle are fed twice a day …show more content…
There are many different strategies done to maintain the health and well-being of the animals. At least once a day the cattle are checked for signs of illness or injuries. This helps to ensure that the cattle are healthy and does not allow any diseases to be transmitted through the herds. Feedlots also have different strategies in order to maintain the stress of the animal. For example, often times shade is provided to eliminate heat stress and sprinkler systems are used to help keep dust down. The USDA has different rules and regulations that feedlot operations must follow. This helps to keep the accountability of feedlots and to ensure the correct treatment of the animals.
Still, questions are asked as to why feedlots are needed. There are over 75,000 feedlots in the United States (“Beef Manual” 2). These operations are necessary in order to provide the world with the beef it demands. Time, money, and resources are all managed when cattle are raised in a feedlot. For example, it could take 2-3 years in order for an organic institution to raise one head of cattle fit for market. At a feedlot, this time is cut in half (“Fact Sheet”). This is one reason why it would be impractical to believe that we could raise enough cattle to feed the world without
Cattle raised in a feedlot environment are fed a very high quality diet in order to gain the necessary weight. The cattle are fed twice a day …show more content…
There are many different strategies done to maintain the health and well-being of the animals. At least once a day the cattle are checked for signs of illness or injuries. This helps to ensure that the cattle are healthy and does not allow any diseases to be transmitted through the herds. Feedlots also have different strategies in order to maintain the stress of the animal. For example, often times shade is provided to eliminate heat stress and sprinkler systems are used to help keep dust down. The USDA has different rules and regulations that feedlot operations must follow. This helps to keep the accountability of feedlots and to ensure the correct treatment of the animals.
Still, questions are asked as to why feedlots are needed. There are over 75,000 feedlots in the United States (“Beef Manual” 2). These operations are necessary in order to provide the world with the beef it demands. Time, money, and resources are all managed when cattle are raised in a feedlot. For example, it could take 2-3 years in order for an organic institution to raise one head of cattle fit for market. At a feedlot, this time is cut in half (“Fact Sheet”). This is one reason why it would be impractical to believe that we could raise enough cattle to feed the world without