If there’s one thing that’s true about Aussies, it’s that they love their meat. For many, it’s a bit of a tradition - just after the New Year, as the cricket rolls on, we sit down with a wonderful roast and watch the newest ads comically advertising this delicious product.
As well known as the Australian meat market is, only some people understand how beef is produced. With a massive cattle industry, primary producers nationwide contribute to a country full of steak, sausages, and traditional biltong in Australia.
We not only sell enough meat to feed all of Australia, but we also export significant quantities of meat overseas to nations such as China, Japan, and the United States. In recent years, how animals have been treated through practices such as live export has come under fire from rights groups and the media. What can be done to ensure that livestock are cared for in a way that doesn’t put undue stress on them during their lives?
Why is Stress Reduction Important?
It is often asked why we should care about stressed animals - given that eventually, they’ll just be another piece of meat on the dinner table. What's interesting is that livestock's stress levels can directly correlate to the quality of the food we eat - to keep it simple, animals experiencing high levels of stress result in low-quality meat. There are societal expectations on what quality should be expected from meat - with many meat suppliers often being called out and investigated for unscrupulous business practices.
Stress reduction makes sense, not only from an animal welfare perspective but also from a business perspective. If a farm can demonstrate that it is treating animals well, they can demonstrate positive social values to a community that not only expects them, but in some cases, demands them.
It makes sense, from not only an animal welfare but also a cost perspective, that animals are kept as calm as possible throughout their life. After all - nobody wants to buy poor-quality meat. It’s important, therefore, to identify what stresses animals and what can be done to reduce and remove those stressors.
Identifying Stress in Cattle
Animals, much like people, demonstrate many physical symptoms when distressed. In some sense, they’re much like a small child - to identify the issues that livestock is experiencing, you need to be able to correctly identify the physical traits that show they are stressed.
There are a number of behavioural patterns that are readily apparent to anyone who’s spending time with livestock, which can help indicate if an animal is stressed. For example, much like a small child, if cattle are restless, excessively chewing, or refusing to eat or drink, there may be factors at play that are causing cattle stress.
Additionally, there are other signs which might exhibit that an animal is going through distress. These, too, are similar to a stressed-out child - are they, for example, starting to sweat, or panting heavily? These issues can highlight that livestock may be experiencing a more serious issue and may require remedial action - as leaving livestock to stress unnecessarily can cause quality issues in the meat production process.
Do You Like Jazz? Cows Do Too!
Here's an interesting way to deal with stress in livestock. You may have heard of companion animals before, often typically to help people through post-traumatic stress and other anxiety disorders. Did you know that they’re sometimes used to help support livestock?
Many strategies can be used to help reduce the stress levels of animals - a lot of which are centred around how poor behaviour can result in a stressful and fearful animal. Consider, for example, a cow constantly hit or mistreated by farm handlers when walking into a yard. After one or two negative experiences, they may begin to expect that their handlers will mistreat them each time they enter the yard - and, as a result, may have high levels of stress. Positive behaviour, particularly around the herding of livestock, can go a long way to reassuring an animal rather than inciting fear.
There are also other ways to keep cows calm - arguably, some are more bespoke than others. Consider, for example, the sort of music you may listen to daily. If you’re one of the millions who are a jazz fan, you’re in luck - as it turns out, cows are quite fond of slow jams, as seen on TikTok. Cows have been listening to music for a very long time - with research conducted in the early 2000s finding that slower tempos can lead to slight increases in milk production.
Ultimately, it’s important that all animals are treated fairly - from when they enter the farmyard to when they leave for the production cycle. It’s imperative for all farmers and other primary producers to work together so that cows and other livestock live happy and fulfilling lives - at the end of the day, it can make a world of difference to what our dinner tastes like!
