From the News Archives...

In the feedlot, it's considered "natural" for cattle to be sick

Feedlot magazine, a monthly periodical for the cattle industry, offers a candid portrayal of animal welfare as seen from the point of view of the feedlot manager. According to a recent article, the condition called "subacute acidosis" which gives animals diarrhea and makes them go off feed, pant, salivate excessively, kick at their bellies, and eat dirt is a normal and expected situation. "Every animal in the feedlot will experience subacute acidosis at least once during the feeding period," the article notes. It then goes on to reassure readers that this is "an important natural function in adapting to high-grain finishing rations..."

We beg to differ. There is nothing "natural" about subacute acidosis. It's a chronic belly ache brought about by switching animals from their natural diet of pasture to an artificial, high-grain concentrate.

Read the article in its entirety...

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