Appendix 5: Legislative requirements for welfare of cattle

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007 No. 2078)^(footnote) , make it an offence to cause or allow unnecessary pain or distress.

Dung contamination of the hide compromises the animalʼs welfare by causing skin damage, pain and the risk of infection. In addition, animals that are presented in a dirty condition may be lairaged to clean up. This additional handling may cause unnecessary stress to the animal.

The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2007^(footnote) requires livestock to be provided with an adequate supply of fresh drinking water each day and to have access to food each day.

The diet must be wholesome, appropriate to the species, and fed in sufficient quantity to maintain good health and to satisfy nutritional needs.

Where any livestock, other than poultry, are kept in a building, they shall be kept on, or have access at all times to, a lying area, which is well drained or well-maintained with dry bedding (The Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Livestock - Cattle)

• animals shall be fed a wholesome diet which is appropriate to their age and species, and which is fed to them in sufficient quantity to maintain them in good health and to satisfy their nutritional needs and to promote a positive state of wellbeing.  
• all animals shall either have access to a suitable water supply and be provided with an adequate supply of fresh drinking each day or be able to satisfy their fluid intake needs by other means. There should be enough water available for at least 10% of housed cattle to drink at any one time.
• grazing animals should have access to appropriate number of water troughs (large enough and of the right design) or some other source of drinkable water that the animals can readily use wherever they are grazing
• feeding and watering equipment shall be designed, constructed, placed and maintained so that contamination of food and water and the harmful effects of competition between are minmised
• all concrete yards of passageways should be kept in good condition. Where slatted floors are used, you should pay attention to the type of slots, to avoid slipperiness. You should only use slotted pens of size animal that they designed for, and part of the accommodation should be a solid- flow with some other suitable bedding material 
• where any animals are kept in a building they shall be kept on, or have access at all times to, a lying area which either has a well-maintained dry bedding or is well-drained
• air circulation, dust levels, temperature, relative humidity and gas concentrations shall be kept within limits that are not harmful to the animals
• bulls reared for slaughter should be kept in small groups, preferably of not more than 20 20 animals. Bulls should not normally be added to groups already formed, and neither should one group of bulls be added to another to send to slaughter. Groups of bulls should be kept at a safe distance from female cattle.
• planning the grazing rotation and using effective medicinal products or vaccines control internal parasites. Animals should be treated for parasites with the veterinary surgeons advice