Beef Cattle

Update initiated Sept 2010

• Current Code of Practice for the care and handling of Beef Cattle (1991) • Factsheet
• News Release Beef Cattle Code of Practice to be Updated • 29 Oct 2010

SURVEY 

NFACC is conducting surveys to gain stakeholder insights on the Code of Practice,
and views on the care and handling of beef cattle.
Your participation is important. Click here to begin survey.

News Release Provide input on the beef cattle Code of Practice through new survey • 30 Apr 2012

Code Development Progress

Revisions to the Code of Practice for Beef Cattle, using the NFACC Code development process, are slated for completion in spring 2013. The following links provide an overview of where we are in the Code revision process: 

• Progress report
• Code timeline

Priority Welfare Issues List

The priority welfare issues are speciesspecific and manageable topics that are considered to be important for animal welfare and will particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

The Code Development Committee (CDC) and the Scientists’ Committees (SC) each identify their respective priority list of issues. Once complete the committees come together to collectively identify the final priority welfare list for the species. The SC then reviews the scientific literature for each priority welfare issue and develops a report synthesizing the research results, summarizing the consensus (if any), and identifying any gaps requiring further research.  See full SC Terms of Reference.

The CDC uses the SC report to develop requirements and recommendations around the priority welfare issues.

Following is the Priority Welfare Issues List for the Beef Cattle Code update:

• Painful procedures (methods and age)
  • Branding
  • Castration
  • Dehorning
• Feedlot health and morbidity
  • Respiratory disease
  • Lameness
  • Nutritional diseases
    • Acidosis
    • Laminitis
    • Liver abscesses
• Environmental and housing conditions for animals
  • Mud-effect on health and welfare
  • What is acceptable shelter
    • Extreme weather conditions
• Weaning strategies

Note: other welfare topics for the species will be covered by the CDC. The priority welfare issue list is comprised of issues that would particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.

Committees

Beef Cattle Code Development Committee

Participants are defined as per NFACC’s Code of Practice guidelines.

Beef Cattle Scientists’ Committee

• John Campbell
• Janice Berg
• Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein (Co-Chair)
• Joe Stookey (Co-Chair)
• Derek Haley
• Ed Pajor
• Nicole Fenwick (Research Writer)

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