Humane Handling Requirements

Tender Handling from Start to Finish

Our Process applies requirements and procedures accepted by animal care experts and verified by National Beef® to ensure cattle are raised in a low-stress environment and handled in a humane, gentle fashion throughout development.

All cattle USA born and raised by family producers, and human treatment is verified by affidavits and on-site audits. This ensures the cattle engage in their natural behaviors with sufficient space, shelter, water and a healthy diet, free of antibiotics and added hormones.

Humanely Raised Requirements for All Live Cattle Suppliers to the Program

National Beef verifies that cattle are humanely raised and handled according to the following criteria:

Any egregious act of cruelty to cattle is unacceptable.
Cattle supplier has a documented non-ambulatory cattle procedure.
Cull and/or chronically sick cattle are fully ambulatory prior to transporting.
Non-ambulatory and/or disabled cattle are euthanized by acceptable methods prior to being moved.
National Beef evaluates that cattle are humanely raised and handled according to the program's requirements by the following method:
Each feedlot intended for the program is audited on-site prior to approval.
There can be no failures in any of the listed criteria in order to maintain approval.
Any failure observed in any of the listed criteria results in the suspension of all affected live cattle supplier(s) from the program and any other action deemed necessary by National Beef.