ABSTRACTEFFECTS OF TAIL DOCKING ON BEHAVIOR, PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH OF BEEF CATTLE RAISED IN CONFINED FEEDLOTSByLee Anne K. KrollTail docking of feedlot cattle is a management practice used in some confined, slatted floor feedlots of the Midwestern United States. Justification for tail docking is to reduce tail injuries and their sequelae, and improve performance. Limited evidence exists to support these claims and the practice of routine tail docking is an animal welfare concern in regards to pain and loss of the tail for communication and fly avoidance. The primary objective of the research conducted for this thesis was to determine the effect of routine tail docking on performance and health parameters of feedlot cattle housed in a confined slatted floor feedlot facility and behavioral response following tail docking. Cattle were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups; docked (DK) or control (CN). All calves received the same pre- and post-operative analgesia and DK calves had the distal two-thirds of their tail removed with pruning shears. For all performance trials, we found no significant effect of treatment on performance, carcass, morbidity, mortality or lameness. Tail injuries were present among 60-76% of cattle that were not tail docked. Behavior studies demonstrated increased fly avoidance activity and signs of acute pain in DK calves. We were unable to identify a performance or health advantage to tail docking, and we observed signs of compromised welfare in feedlot cattle following tail docking. However, tail tip injuries persisted in cattle raised in slatted floor facilities. Because routine tail docking of cattle housed in confined, slatted floor facilities does not appear to improve performance and cattle welfare is compromised, alternative solutions to reduce the incidence of tail tip injury should be considered.
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