Lotfeeding

Feedlot industry encourages all yards to embrace shade by 2026

Beef Central, 06/11/2020

The Australian Lot Feeders Association has announced an initiative to encourage all Australian feedlots to provide cattle with access to shade.

ALFA’s shade initiative builds on industry’s commitment to animal welfare and continual improvement, saying shade enables cattle to display natural shade seeking behaviour and aids animal comfort.

Click this link to read Beef Central’s report published yesterday, on more refined approaches being developed to managing summer heat stress, including references to shade.

Australian Lot Feeders Association president Bryce Camm said the peak industry body was proud to launch this important initiative, which asks all Australian feedlots to make a pledge to provide cattle under their care with access to shade by 2026.

“This initiative builds on the feedlot industry’s already strong commitment to animal welfare and positions our sector for long-term sustainability,” Mr Camm said.

Positive outcomes

Research undertaken by Meat & Livestock Australia indicated that shade has positive outcomes on cattle welfare and comfort, especially during abnormal heat wave conditions.

It also showed that shade can result in productivity gains in terms of increased feed intake and hence weightgain at slaughter.

Shade enabled cattle to display natural shade-seeking behaviour, aiding in their ability to reduce the impact of environmental extremes and improve comfort, Mr Camm said.

“ALFA has had a long-term interest in animal welfare research, and we continue to support grainfed levy investment through MLA in this area, including projects to develop additional types of shade solutions for the feedlot industry,” he said.

“This initiative builds on an estimated 60 percent of industry feedlot capacity that already has shade in place, by asking all feedlots to invest in capital works to install shade in their facilities. ALFA is encouraging all feedlots to consider the benefits that shade brings to the cattle they care for, their enterprise and collectively as an industry,” Mr Camm said.

“We understand the challenges that individual businesses may face in installing shade, hence ALFA is aiming to see shade in all feedlots by 2026 which allows sufficient planning and installation time,” he said.

ALFA is providing feedlot operators with information on shade design, standards and construction and has developed an on-line Shade Resource Hub  (https://www.feedlots.com.au/shade)  to help yard operators understand more about the benefits of shade.

Information on financing opportunities through Federal and State low interest loans and asset write off incentives is also being made available to feedlot operators to support the installation of shade.

“We know that our consumers expect us to care for our livestock,” Mr Camm said.

“The initiative to have shade installed in all feedlots demonstrates our collective commitment to prioritising and continuously improving the welfare of cattle under our care,” he said.

 

Source: ALFA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Peter Vincent, 06/11/2020

    “Encourages”? It should be standard (enforced) practice!

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