Applied Animal Science publishes abstracts from the return of the International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare
The international group’s first gathering since 2018 brought researchers, veterinarians, and producers together for three days to discuss emerging topics and findings in the field
Champaign, IL, October 5, 2026---Applied Animal Science has published the abstract collection from the 7th International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare, held June 1 to 3, 2026, at the University of Nebraska--Lincoln. It was the symposium’s first meeting since 2018, bringing together experts from the United States and Canada to provide an overview of the emerging research, progress, and areas of focus for the future of beef cattle welfare. “In collaboration with the 2026 International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare, Applied Animal Science is publishing the abstracts from the meeting,” explained Bill Weiss, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAS, editor in chief of the journal. “The broad-ranging topics include handling and transportation of cattle, pain and stress mitigation, training, and research methodologies. People involved with all aspects of beef production will find these topics timely and educational.”
The symposium program opened with two talks represented in the abstract collection. Tom Field of the University of Nebraska--Lincoln traced the biggest shifts in the US beef industry over the past 20 years, including the increase of beef-on-dairy systems, the infrastructure questions raised when dealing with heavier cattle, and consumer demand for protein. Karen Schwartzkopf-Genswein of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada then took stock of the last decade in beef cattle welfare research, noting key ongoing issues, where notable advancements have been made, and emerging welfare issues that will shape the future, including the expansion of beef-on-dairy systems, the effects of climate change, and the continued evolution of technologies to support welfare assessment and management.
All subsequent abstracts fall into the major programmatic sections of the event, ranging from management decisions, including pain mitigation and timely euthanasia decision-making, to environmental and physical comfort issues such as heat stress mitigation, to the importance of differential diagnosis for lameness in cattle.
The human factors of welfare were a centerpiece of the event, including what we are learning on mindful technology implementation for monitoring beef cattle and why stockperson training improves outcomes for both animals and people. Temple Grandin closed the session with 50 years of observations on how attitudes toward animal emotion have shifted, recounting her own personal experiences in publishing on the topic and helping to develop the center track restrainer to improve handling practices at slaughter.
Caption: Published in Applied Animal Science, the abstracts from the 7th International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare offer a streamlined collection of how far beef welfare research has come and where the work is headed next (Credit: iStock.com/cstar55).
Downstream welfare indicators are included in the collection, including the issues surrounding foreign objects--buckshot and birdshot, for example--in the beef supply and exciting new tools being developed to scan for contaminants to prevent downstream impacts and aid in tracing their source. Last, the event ended on emerging and cross-sector issues, including the critical differences between native beef and beef-on-dairy calves in early-life nutrition, stress, weaning best practices for production success, and findings on the post-transport lying behavior of beef cattle.
Several abstracts point toward emerging tools that did not exist at the last meeting. A team from the University of Lethbridge and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada tested computer vision to identify stance and swing phases of the gait cycle in feedlot cattle, reporting it has the potential to improve consistent, scalable lameness monitoring in commercial cattle systems. Kansas State researchers evaluated feeding behavior and ruminal bolus data as objective indicators of castration pain, potentially replacing subjective pain scoring.
“Animal welfare research does not stop at borders, and neither do the needs of beef animals and producers,” said Ruth Woiwode, PhD, of —Oklahoma State University, who led the event’s steering committee. “We’re grateful that the abstracts include perspectives from researchers, consultants, and practitioners in the United States and Canada interested in better understanding the strides we’ve made and where the science is headed next.”
All abstracts can be accessed in the October 2026 issue of Applied Animal Science.
Notes for editors
“7th International Symposium on Beef Cattle Welfare: Abstracts,” (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2590-2865(26)00073-X), Applied Animal Science, volume 42, issue 5 (October 2026), published by FASS and Elsevier.
The abstracts are openly available at https://doi.org/10.1016/S2590-2865(26)00073-X.
To learn more about the event or schedule an interview with the author(s), please contact Ruth Woiwode at ruth.woiwode@okstate.edu.
About Applied Animal Science
Applied Animal Science (AAS) is a gold open access, peer-reviewed scientific journal and the official publication of the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS). In continuous publication since 1985, AAS is a leading outlet for animal science research. It has a Journal Impact Factor and is indexed by Scopus, Clarivate, CABI, and AGRICOLA. AAS caters to a wide and comprehensive audience, and its readers are typically university, extension, animal-industry, and government employees; members of professional societies and related organizations; producers, commodity organizations, and related feed and foods industries; researchers and students; and consultants and companies providing products and services in animal agriculture. The journal welcomes novel manuscripts on applied technology, reviews on the use or application of research-based information on animal agriculture, commentaries on contemporary issues, short communications, and technical notes. Topics that will be considered for publication include (but are not limited to) feed science, farm animal management and production, dairy science, meat science, animal nutrition, reproduction, animal physiology and behavior, disease control and prevention, microbiology, agricultural economics, and environmental issues related to agriculture. Themed special issues also will be considered for publication. www.appliedanimalscience.org
About the American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS)
The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists (ARPAS) is the organization that provides certification of animal scientists through examination, continuing education, and commitment to a code of ethics. Continual improvement of individual members is catalyzed through publications (including the AAS journal) and by providing information on educational opportunities. ARPAS is affiliated with five professional societies: American Dairy Science Association, American Meat Science Association, American Society of Animal Science, Equine Science Society, and Poultry Science Association. www.arpas.org
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