Opal Creek Feedlot - Main video

Australian Country Choice operates three Queensland feedlots, with a standing capacity of 56,500 cattle. At their Opal Creek Feedlot, cows are ‘finished’ in barren pens, before being sent to slaughter. Many of these cows are given hormones (HGPs) which are banned across Europe and the UK. These hormones encourage rapid growth and are known to contribute to a range of health issues in cattle.

At Opal Creek, cows were observed suffering from painful diseases, injuries and infections. They were treated with minimal or no pain relief and often given less effective drugs, as the more effective ones mean they can’t be killed until a mandatory ‘withhold’ period is reached. Workers admit to sending lame animals who shouldn’t be trucked to ‘local abattoirs’ rather than the main ACC plant, where they wouldn’t be accepted.

Cows that are killed on site are shot in the head by workers. Those who are found dead, or where the cause of death is unknown, are autopsied, often while workers crowd around laughing and making jokes.