Effect of space allowance on beef cattle performance and health

A low space availability for finishing cattle could compromise animals’ health, welfare and growth. The aim of this study was to investigate on how space allowance can affect health and growth of finishing Charolais bulls housed in an indoor facility. The trial involved 108 bulls with an initial individual space of 3.50 or 4.37 m2 per animal, for the low (LSA) or the high space allowance group (HSA), respectively. For each animal the health conditions were collected daily and the average daily gain (ADG) was measured throughout the trial. Data on ADG were analyzed through a mixed ANOVA model, whereas data on symptoms and treatments were analyzed through the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test. Because of an unexpected culling rate due to lameness, the space allowance increased throughout the trial up to 4.07 and 4.62 m2 per animal for LSA and HSA, respectively. Average daily gain was not affected by space allowance and was on average 1.28 Kg/day, but LSA led to a higher number of treatments per sick animal (1.23 vs. 2.60, P=0.011). This study shows how higher space allowance in finishing bulls can help in improving animal health in indoor system