Feedlots are bad because they pollute the air as well as the ground with the smell and also the poop and pee from the cows and animals located in the feedlot.
Also the cows and animals in feedlots are packed in really tight and they usually stand in their own feces and urine until they are slaughtered.
An environmental downside of feedlots is that the way they concentrate and store manure often leads to high levels of local air and water pollution.
In addition, runoff of nitrogen-rich manure into waterways can contribute to "dead zones" in coastal areas.
Disadvantage of feedlots is that cattle stand in small, crowded areas in their own feces and urine all the time.
Another big concern and/or disadvantage of CAFO's is E. coli contamination.
Cattle that are fed a high corn based diet can have increased amounts of E. coli in their digestive tract.
Feedlot diets are different to the pasture that cattle would normally eat and the transition to a feedlot diet (a grain-based feed) can result in digestive disorders, including acidosis, and other health problems.
While feedlots may provide more space for cows to roam, they can also cause other, potentially negative animal welfare outcomes.
The main factors contributing to heat stress are a lack of shade, excessive weight brought on by being fed increasingly heavy diets, and cows with black hides.
Impacts of Poor Feedlot Management: Beef feedlots contribute to climate disruption via emissions of heat-trapping enteric methane (from cattle belching), manure methane (from storage lagoons), and nitrous oxide (from stored and applied manure and, indirectly, from over-applying fertilizer to the feed crops they rely on.