Most people probably think feedlots are only about feeding cattle to provide beef for our dinner tables. After all, “Beef, it’s what’s for dinner”. Cattle feeding is a tiny part of the daily routine for modern feeders. Redstone Feeders of Iroquois, Warkenthien Feedyard of Clark, Moes Feedlot LLC of Florence, and J & J Farms of Bruce opened their gates for tours on July 14th. Let’s look at some of the ways these four feedlots are more than just cattle feeders.
For the Cattle
Attention to cattle care and comfort was evident at each of the feedlots. Cattle diets are carefully adjusted by nutritionists to provide the required nutrients which support growth and health. A unique feature of Moes’ Feedlot is that the bars above the bunk line can be adjusted to three different heights which accommodates feeding cattle of various sizes; from 200 pound calves up to market ready animals
Feedlot managers need to be proactive about animal health. Vaccination protocols and judicious use of antibiotics are two well-proven tools to prevent and treat diseases. However, communication and coordination between the ranch and feedyard allows managers to do a better job of tailoring the use of these tools to match the health status of the calves. For instance, Redstone Feeders communicates with their suppliers to design vaccination protocols on the ranch which has resulted in less sickness and death loss at the feedyard. In other cases, cattle that have been comingled at some point before arrival are higher-risk and need to be managed accordingly. Basic animal husbandry is another key component. For instance, John Moes stressed the importance of cleaning waterers to prevent sick animals and to encourage adequate water intake, “If you wouldn’t drink from it, neither will the calves.”
Cattle comfort is challenged by the weather. Sprinkler systems for open lots were utilized by several feedlots to assist in cooling the cattle during times of heat stress. Additionally, wind blocks were incorporated into open lots to protect cattle from cold winter winds.
Special attention to pen maintenance is key to cleaner, healthier animals. At Warkenthien’s, there are three types of pens to manage: bed-pack hoop barns, open concrete pens, and open dirt with concrete apron pens. Scraping manure, maintaining dirt mounds, and adding bedding is an art when the weather constantly changes. At Redstone and Moes, the monoslope pens are cleaned and bedded about 1-2 times per week. J & J Farms have all dirt lots which require regular pen scraping and maintenance of proper slope to allow water drainage in order to reduce mud hole formation. Each pen type requires attention to detail and lots of hours of hard work to ensure a dry, comfortable environment in which the cattle live. These practices minimize disease pathogens, promote good cattle health which can lead to fewer foot problems or sick cattle, and increase cattle performance.
Handling cattle for sorting, vaccinations, weighing, or loading is just part of a feedlot’s routine. Proper facilities are paramount to keep cattle and workers calm, safe, and stress free. J & J Farms has a “Bud Box” design leading to their hydraulic chute and load out ramp while the other three feedlots used various versions of a curved tub design. Both of these facility designs are based on working with the cattle’s natural behavior which helps minimize stress. The feedlots used either rubber mats, grooved concrete, or dry clay/dirt to maintain good footing throughout the handling areas to prevent cattle slips and falls.
For the Environment
Feed that goes into the cattle must come out. Thus, feedlots are required to have a nutrient management plan in place to protect the environment and any waterways surrounding it from manure runoff. Redstone Feeders shared that applying the cattle manure to their fields improved the quality of the historically poor soil, which led to increased crop yields and decreased dependence on commercially available fertilizer. J & J Farms is able to use the waste water from the lagoon to irrigate their crops. This beneficial practice of applying manure and waste water to crops is used by many feedlots and livestock managers to be good environmental stewards.
Other ways to prevent runoff included the use of grass buffer/filter strips between pens and the sediment basins/lagoons. Strategic plantings of shelter belts around pens and barns assist in filtering the aroma of the cattle and providing additional wind blocks. J & J Farms also built cement walls to slow and direct runoff from the open lots to their lagoon which ensures the Big Sioux River remains clean.
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