An Intercontinental survey of commercial abattoirs

A survey was conducted to describe the distribution of 10 advanced health and welfare conditions in cows destined for slaughter within a large, multinational beef supply chain. The survey included 4,211 groups of cows (N = 76,886) from 13 countries in 3 areas of the world [Europe, Brazil, and the United States). Thirty-four commercial abattoirs participated in Europe, 9 in the United States, and 7 in Brazil. The survey was conducted in July, August, and September 2014. The conditions were non-ambulatory (NA), severe lameness [SL), ocular neoplasia (ON), wounds (W), malaise (M), nervous system disorders (NSD), poor udder condition (PUC), active parturition (AP), uterine prolapse (UP), and low body condition score (LBCS). Of all animals evaluated, 2.98% displayed at least 1 condition. The 3 most common conditions were LBCS (45.6% of conditions observed), PUC (20.3% of conditions observed), and SL (16.3% of conditions observed). The combination of "Dairy" and "Mixed Beef and Dairy" groups of cows accounted for 69.6% of the total population, and 82.3% of all conditions observed. The most common conditions observed in Europe and the United States were LBCS, PUC, and SL, while LBCS, NA, and AP were the 3 most common conditions in Brazil.