Feedlots in Australia: everything you need to know
News
Did you know Australia has about 400 accredited beef cattle feedlots, most of which are located in Queensland and New South Wales? Here’s a quick guide on everything you need to know about feedlots in Australia.
Image credit: AnimalKind
At any given time, approximately one million cattle (cows and bulls) are farmed on these feedlots, making Australia one of the largest beef exporters in the world.
Our latest report ‘Cattle Feedlots: Australia’s Hidden Factory Farms’ shines a bright light on the cruelty faced by animals confined to these gated, barren yards.
What exactly is a feedlot?
Feedlots are nothing but factory farms that exist to speed up the weight gain of a large number of cows in a short amount of time. This method is used in the industry to minimise costs and maximise profits – all at the expense of the animals involved.
The Meat and Livestock Australia definition of a feedlot illustrates their bleakness: “a confined yard area with watering and feeding facilities where cattle are completely fed by hand or mechanically for the purpose of beef production.”
What is the purpose of a feedlot?
The purpose of a feedlot is to unnaturally make cows reach slaughter weight as cheaply and quickly as possible. This is done by changing their diet from grass to grain. Despite these animals naturally feeding on grass, they are forced to consume grains such as barley, wheat and sorghum. If done too quickly, this transition can lead to serious medical conditions such as acidosis, which in serious cases can result in a painful death.
How many feedlots are in Australia?
There are approximately 400 accredited feedlots across Australia. The majority are concentrated in Queensland and New South Wales. Small feedlots may only have the capacity to house a few hundred cattle, while the largest, Mort & Co.’s Grassdale Feedlot, can hold more than 70,000 animals.
In 2022, 46% of all Australian cattle spent part of their lives confined to a feedlot. An overwhelming majority (80%) of beef sold in Australia comes from animals who finished their lives on feedlots. For perspective, this means that almost every burger, package of mince, wagyu product, and a substantial percentage of steak sold in Australia come from feedlotted animals.
Animal welfare concerns
Like other factory farms, feedlots have a significant amount of animal welfare issues. A cow’s innate needs for grazing and resting are unable to be met in the typical environment of these confined yard areas.
They are regularly exposed to extreme heat, unsanitary conditions, and disease outbreaks. These unfavourable conditions can cause these thinking, feeling beings to suffer from footrot, liver disease, and other ailments.
While the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association encourages the provision of shade structures, it is not a legal requirement. As a result, many feedlot cattle can suffer from heat stress as they do not have access to shade even on extremely hot days or weeks.
Antibiotic use in feedlots
Instead of providing animals with more space and a less stressful environment, feedlots often preventatively dose cattle with antibiotics, anticipating the high rates of disease inherent in an unsanitary, confined environment. According to Meat & Livestock Australia, 90% of feedlot cattle are given antimicrobial agents when they first move to a grain-based diet.
Beef labels
Australia’s food labelling schemes provide information that may include the country of origin, means of production, and other important information. These labels can often be found on meat products in the supermarket, restaurants and other food providers.
Australian beef producers are currently not required to specify on their labels if their product comes from a feedlot, which can limit a consumer’s ability to make informed choices about animal welfare.
Instead, they may use terms such as “grain-fed” and “grain-finished” - all of which are unclear ways of saying that the animal has spent time on a feedlot. A majority of beef products labelled "Wagyu" also come from feedlots.
Food labels
Reading meat and other animal product labels can be tricky because they may not always be clear. And sometimes, they are deliberately made this way.
Grain fed vs Grain fed finished
Cattle have a natural lifespan of 15 to 20 years. Unfortunately, those farmed for beef are slaughtered when they are much younger: 12 to 18 months old. Here are some labels you might find on beef products in your local supermarket and what they actually mean in terms of how much time the animal has spent on a feedlot:
- Grain Finished: the animals spent 35+ days on a feedlot
- Grain Fed Young beef: the animals spent 70/60 days on a feedlot for males/females
- Grain Fed: the animals spent 100+ days on a feedlot
- Wagyu: most animals spent 350-600 days on a feedlot
Environmental concerns
Poor waste management practices in feedlots can cause runoff of animal faeces which can contaminate surrounding areas such as neighbouring farmlands and public waters. It also increases the risk of disease spread and environmental damage.
With you by our side, we will continue working towards giving farm animals in Australia and all around the world, a life worth living.
Together, we can take the ‘factory’ out of ‘farming’.
Your guide to beef cattle feedlots in Australia
Everything you need to know about feedlots in Australia, beef labels, and more.
Factory farming inflicts pain on billions of animals
Factory farming
We need to break the cycle of suffering in our global food system as it is not healthy for anyone.