Meat&Poultry - October 2013 - 98

From the Corral

Recommended

BY DR. TEMPLE GRANDIN
meatpoultry@sosland.com

BETA-AGONISTS:
keeping score
T

he lameness issues linked to the

beef steers being loaded onto trucks

use of beta-agonists in cattle feed

had only 2 percent lame animals. The

vary in severity based on many factors.

baseline level of lameness in feedlot

Welfare issues, such as sore and stiff

cattle is low. Lameness must not be

feet among cattle fed beta-agonists, in-

allowed to rise to the levels observed

cluding Zilmax,

in some dairy cattle.

which has been

Feedlot cattle that have a severe

removed from

lameness issue due to beta-agonist ad-

US and Cana-

ministration also have the potential to

dian markets,

cause USDA/FSIS regulatory issues

are a negative

at packing plants. Cattle that are more

result of what

difficult to move may cause overuse

happens when

of driving aids or electric prods. The

you push the bi-

FSIS regulation 9 GFR 312.2 states

ology of the ani-

“any use of such implements (referring

mals too much.

to electric prods or other driving im-

In an article

plements), which is, in the opinion of

that was posted

the inspector excessive, is prohibited.”

on MeatPoultry.

The other regulatory issue is with

com on Sept. 6,

the FDA. FDA regulations on Serious

I was quoted as

Adverse Events and Adverse Drug Ex-

saying there is

perience (ADE) are similar for both

a major problem

veterinary and human drugs. Report-

from an animal-welfare standpoint if

ing serious adverse events is manda-

more than 10 percent of the cattle be-

tory and reporting of ADE’s is mostly

ing moved from the holding pens to

voluntary. Some examples of serious

the stunner have a score of 1 (mild-

adverse events are death, permanent

ly lame). We don’t want to get to the

damage to the body and life-threaten-

point where bad is normal. Lame and

ing events. ADE’s are less serious and

stiff cattle can’t be accepted as normal.

can range from mild to severe. Reports

There are three different view-

of ADE’s may result in label changes.

points on evaluating lameness asso-

Since my lameness scoring system

ciated with beta-agonists. They are

appeared on MeatPoultry.com, I have

from an ethical animal-welfare stand-

been contacted with some suggested

point; from a USDA regulatory hu-

changes to address FDA regulatory

mane-handling standpoint; and from

issues for the most Serious Adverse

an FDA regulatory standpoint.

Events. As a result, I have slightly re-

From an ethical view, regardless

vised my scoring system. ■

of the cause, more than 10 percent
lame feedlot cattle is not acceptable. In
2013, observations of 1,800 crossbred

98

Dr. Temple Grandin operates Grandin Livestock
Systems Inc., and is a faculty member at
Colorado State Univ.

• Meat&Poultry • October 2013 • www.MeatPoultry.com

lameness
scoring system
0 NORMAL

Stands and walks normally,
long confident strides, easy
to move and vigorous

1 MILDLY LAME

Slightly stiff gait, slight
sore-footed, keeps up with
normal cattle when the
group is walking. Ethical
animal-welfare concerns
arise when the number
of cattle in the “mildly
lame” category exceeds 10
percent of the cattle from
a single lot. There is an
ethnical concern regardless
of the cause of lameness.

2 MODERATELY LAME

Lags behind and fails
to keep up with normal
cattle when the group is
walking. Head down during
movement, all four feet
sore, stiff gait. When at rest,
animal may shift weight
back and forth between
different feet. Moderately
lame categorized cattle
represent a definite ethical
animal welfare concern.

3 SEVERELY LAME

Limping, hard to move,
reluctant to put weight
on its feet. No flight zone,
has difficulty moving and
handlers have to put their
hands or driving aids on the
animal to induce it to walk.

4 ADVERSE EFFECT

Includes cattle that are nonambulatory and not able
to stand, standing “statue”
immobile and refuses to
move, sloughed off hoof,
tetany/convulsions or dead.
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Meat&Poultry - October 2013

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