Queensland Consolidated Regulations Queensland Consolidated RegulationsIn this schedule—
"beef feedlot" —
(a) means a confined yard with watering and feeding facilities where cattle are completely hand fed or mechanically fed; but
(b) does not include a saleyard or slaughter facilities.
(1) This schedule applies to the care and handling of cattle.
(2) However, this schedule does not apply to transporting cattle.Note—See schedule 3 for the code of practice applying to transporting cattle.
(1) A person in charge of cattle must take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of harm to the cattle from extreme weather conditions.
(2) In this section—
"extreme weather conditions" means temperature or climatic conditions that individually, or in combination, are likely to predispose cattle to heat or cold stress.
A person in charge of cattle must take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of harm to the cattle from heat stress.
A person in charge of cattle must take reasonable steps to minimise the risk of harm to the cattle from fire or flood.
(1) To the extent it is reasonable in the circumstances, a person in charge of cattle must ensure the cattle are inspected to assess the welfare of the cattle.
(2) The inspections must be carried out at regular intervals having regard to the following matters—(a) the stocking density of the cattle;(b) the availability of suitable food;(c) the reliability of water supply;(d) the age of the cattle;(e) whether any of the cattle are pregnant;(f) the climatic conditions to which the cattle are exposed;(g) any known health risks to the cattle.Example for paragraph (g)—ticks
A person in charge of cattle that are sick, diseased or injured must, at the first reasonable opportunity, provide appropriate treatment for the cattle or humanely kill the cattle.
(1) A person in charge of cattle must not use livestock facilities or equipment to contain or handle the cattle, if the facilities or equipment are reasonably likely to cause injury to the cattle.
(2) In this section—
"livestock facilities or equipment" includes the following—(a) fences;(b) yards;(c) sheds;(d) food or water troughs;(e) ramps;(f) dips;(g) branding cradles;(h) crushes and head bales;(i) facilities or equipment used to assemble, hold, load or unload cattle for transportation.
(1) A person handling cattle must handle the cattle in a way that minimises the risk of harm to the cattle.
(2) Without limiting subsection (1) , a person handling cattle must not do any of the following actions—(a) strike, punch or kick the cattle;(b) drag any cattle that are not standing, unless it is necessary in the circumstances to allow safe handling, lifting, treatment or humane killing of the cattle;(c) drag the cattle by the ears or tail;(d) drop the cattle, other than in a way that lets the cattle land and stand on their feet;(e) lift or carry the cattle by the head, ears, horns, neck or tail, unless necessary to do so because of an emergency;(f) deliberately dislocate or break the tail of the cattle;(g) use metal pellets to wound the cattle as an aid for mustering.
(1) A person may use electro-immobilisation to restrain cattle only if—(a) the cattle are older than 6 months of age; and(b) done in a way that minimises the risk of harm to the cattle; and(c) there is no alternative method that would adequately restrain the cattle for the procedure being performed.
(2) A person must not use electro-immobilisation on cattle for pain relief.
(3) In this section—
"electro-immobilisation" means the use of pulsed, low-frequency electrical current producing tetanic contractions of skeletal muscles.
A person may apply an electrical prod to cattle only if—
(a) the cattle is at least 3 months of age; and
(b) the prod is not applied to the face, udders, anus or genitals of the cattle; and
(c) the cattle is able to move away from the prod; and
(d) the prod is applied as sparingly as possible and with restraint.
(1) A person may use a dog to assist in the control or movement of cattle only if—(a) the dog is under effective control at all times; and(b) for controlling or moving a bobby calf—the dog is wearing a muzzle.
(2) In this section—
"bobby calf" means a calf less than 30 days of age that is not accompanied by its mother.
(1) A person in charge of cattle may tether the cattle only if—(a) the cattle are given a reasonable opportunity to exercise at least once each day; and(b) the cattle has sufficient space to stand up, lie down and move around for grazing.
(2) The exercise mentioned in subsection (1) (a) must include being released from the tether or walked on a lead.
(3) A person in charge of cattle must not tether the cattle at night unless the cattle are being exhibited at an agricultural show, field day or similar event.
(4) In this section—
"tethering" , of cattle, means securing the cattle to an anchor point to confine the cattle to a particular area.
(1) A person may castrate cattle only if—(a) the castration is done in a way that avoids unnecessary pain or suffering for the cattle; and(b) appropriate tools and methods are used to castrate the cattle; and(c) suitable pain relief is administered to the cattle.
(2) However, subsection (1) (c) does not apply if—(a) the cattle is less than 6 months of age; or(b) the cattle is less then 12 months of age and the castration happens at its first yarding.
(1) A person may dehorn cattle only if—(a) the dehorning is done in a way that avoids unnecessary pain or suffering for the cattle; and(b) appropriate tools and methods are used to dehorn the cattle; and(c) suitable pain relief is administered to the cattle.
(2) However, subsection (1) (c) does not apply if—(a) the cattle is less than 6 months of age; or(b) the cattle is less than 12 months of age and the dehorning happens at its first yarding.
(1) A person may disbud cattle only if the person complies with this section.
(2) A person disbudding cattle must ensure—(a) the disbudding is done in a way that minimises the risk of harm to the cattle; and(b) appropriate tools and methods are used to disbud the cattle.
(3) A person may use caustic chemicals for disbudding a calf only if—(a) the calf is less than 14 days of age; and(b) the calf is not wet; and(c) the calf is segregated from its mother for 4 hours after treatment; and(d) the calf can be kept dry for 12 hours after the treatment.
(4) In this section—
"disbudding" , of cattle, means the removing of an area of skin from the head of cattle, including the horn bud in a young calf prior to solid attachment of the horn bud to the skull.
(1) A person may perform artificial insemination of a cow only if the person—(a) is a veterinarian; or(b) has the relevant knowledge, skills and experience; or(c) is under the direct supervision of another person who has the relevant knowledge, skills and experience.
(2) A person performing artificial breeding procedures on cattle must—(a) ensure the risk of harm to the cattle is minimised; and(b) take reasonable actions to minimise pain, distress or injury to the cattle.
(3) A person is under
"direct supervision" of another person (the
"supervisor" ) if the supervisor—(a) instructs the person about the procedure; and(b) is on the premises where the procedure is carried out, while the procedure is carried out; and(c) is available to give additional instruction to the person about carrying out the procedure while the procedure is carried out; and(d) evaluates the carrying out of the procedure by the person, including regularly personally checking on the person.
(1) A person may perform calving induction only if the person is a veterinarian.
(2) A person may administer a treatment to perform calving induction only if—(a) the treatment is prescribed by a veterinarian; and(b) the person administers the treatment in compliance with all relevant directions of the prescribing veterinarian.
(1) A person in charge of a calf must ensure—(a) the calf is inspected at least daily to assess the welfare of the calf; and(b) the calf is given reasonable access to food and water; and(c) the calf is provided with food containing sufficient nutrients, including iron, to prevent anaemia and otherwise to ensure the good welfare of the calf; and(d) if the calf is housed in a pen—(i) the calf can stand, turn around, lie down and fully stretch its limbs without obstruction caused by the pen; and(ii) that faeces and urine do not accumulate in the pen to the extent the accumulation presents a risk to the welfare of the calf.
(2) For subsection (1) (b) —(a) a calf is given reasonable access to food if the calf has a reasonable opportunity to consume food of a suitable quality and quantity sufficient to maintain the health and wellbeing of the calf; and(b) a calf is given reasonable access to water if the calf has a reasonable opportunity to drink water of a suitable quality and quantity sufficient to maintain hydration.
(1) A person in charge of an induced calf must ensure the calf receives adequate colostrum or colostrum substitute, or is humanely killed, before the calf is 12 hours old.
(2) In this section—
"colostrum" means milk, rich in protein and antibodies, that is produced by a cow within the first few days after calving.
Without limiting section 6 , a person in charge of a lactating dairy cow must ensure the cow is inspected at least once a day to assess the welfare of the cow.
A person in charge of a dairy cow that is kept on a feed pad must ensure the cow has access to a well-drained area for resting.
(1) A person in charge of cattle kept in a beef feedlot must ensure a minimum floor area of 9m2 for each standard cattle unit in the feedlot.
(2) In this section—
"standard cattle unit" means the equivalent of a cow or bull with a live body weight of 600kg.
(1) The owner or operator of a beef feedlot must ensure records are kept of the diet composition, and quantities fed, to each group of cattle, for the duration of the feeding period for the group of cattle.
(2) In this section—
"feeding period" , for a group of cattle, means the period starting when the cattle are placed in a beef feedlot and ending when the cattle are removed from the feedlot.
Without limiting section 6 , the owner or operator of a beef feedlot must ensure the cattle at the feedlot are inspected daily to assess the welfare of the cattle.
The owner or operator of a beef feedlot must ensure the yards of the feedlot are inspected and maintained to prevent prolonged wet areas and excessive build-up of waste.
The owner or operator of a beef feedlot must—
(a) complete an annual risk assessment about the risk of heat stress at the feedlot; and
(b) establish, implement and maintain a risk management system to manage ongoing risk of heat stress.
(1) The owner or operator of a beef feedlot must have a written contingency plan about—(a) appropriately responding to a failure of food or water supply; and(b) implementing appropriate actions, in response to the failure, to ensure the welfare of cattle at the feedlot.
(2) The owner or operator of a beef feedlot must also have a written contingency plan about responding appropriately to—(a) temperature, or other climatic conditions, that are likely to pose a significant risk of harm to the cattle at the feedlot; or(b) an outbreak of a disease in the feedlot that is likely to pose a significant risk of harm to the cattle at the feedlot.
(1) A person in charge of cattle suffering from severe distress, disease or injury that can not reasonably be treated must ensure the cattle is killed at the first reasonable opportunity.
(2) A person who kills cattle must ensure the cattle is killed in a way that—(a) causes rapid unconsciousness and death immediately after unconsciousness happens; and(b) if the cattle is older than 24 hours—does not include a blow to the head; and(c) is otherwise humane.
(3) A person who kills cattle must take reasonable steps to confirm the death of the cattle immediately after believing the cattle has been killed.