They are not adequately protected against inclement weather, and they may die of dehydration or freeze to death. Injured, ill, or otherwise ailing animals do not receive necessary veterinary attention. Left untreated, the cancer eats away at the animal's eye and face, eventually producing a crater in the side of the animal's head. Accustomed to roaming unimpeded and unconstrained, range cattle are frightened and confused when humans come to round them up.
Injuries often result as terrified animals are corralled and packed onto cattle trucks.
Many will experience additional transportation and handling stress at stockyards and auctions where they are goaded through a series of walkways and holding pens and sold to the highest bidder. From the auction, older cattle may be taken directly to slaughter, or they may be taken to a feedlot. Younger animals, and breeding age cows, may go back to the range. Ranchers still identify cattle the same way they have since pioneer days, with hot iron brands. Needless to say, this practice is extremely traumatic and painful, and the animals bellow loudly as ranchers' brands are burned into their skin.