Feeding cattle in a feedlot involves a highly structured and scientifically formulated approach designed to maximize growth efficiency, maintain animal health, and ensure consistent meat quality. This process centers on providing a balanced diet, carefully managing feed delivery, and utilizing specialized equipment.
Understanding Feedlot Diets
The primary goal of a feedlot diet is to provide high-energy feed that promotes rapid weight gain while minimizing digestive upset. Diets are typically high in grain and include forage, protein supplements, vitamins, and minerals.
- Energy Sources: Grains like corn, barley, wheat, or sorghum form the bulk of the diet, providing concentrated energy for growth.
- Forage: Fibrous feed such as alfalfa-grass hay must be available at all times. This crucial component helps maintain rumen health, prevents digestive issues like acidosis, and facilitates higher rates of gain per day, which improves overall feedlot efficiency. It helps to reduce the risk of digestive problems.
- Protein Supplements: Sources like soybean meal, cottonseed meal, or distiller's grains ensure adequate protein intake for muscle development.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Essential micronutrients are added to prevent deficiencies and support overall health and immunity.
- Additives: Ionophores (like monensin) may be used to improve feed efficiency and prevent certain digestive disorders, while others might include prebiotics or probiotics.
Feed Delivery and Equipment
Efficient and consistent feed delivery is paramount in a feedlot. Specialized equipment ensures that cattle receive their precise rations on schedule.
- Feed Mixing Wagons: These large machines precisely weigh, mix, and deliver feed according to predefined rations. They ensure a consistent blend of all diet components, from grain to hay to supplements.
- Feed Bunks/Troughs: For grain and mixed rations, feed troughs are used. These long, open concrete or metal structures allow multiple animals to eat simultaneously. Cleanliness of these troughs is critical to prevent spoilage and maintain feed intake.
- Hay Racks: Since hay and grain should be fed separately, hay racks are utilized for offering free-choice forage like alfalfa-grass hay. These structures typically hold bales and allow cattle to pull hay through openings, minimizing waste and keeping the hay clean.
- Water Access: Clean, fresh water must always be available. Automatic waterers are commonly used to provide a constant supply.
Daily Feeding Schedule
Cattle in a feedlot are typically fed multiple times a day, often 2-4 times. This strategy helps maintain consistent rumen pH, encourages steady feed intake, and reduces the risk of digestive issues.
- Morning Feed: Often the largest feeding, delivered early in the day.
- Mid-Day Feed: Smaller top-up to stimulate appetite and prevent bunks from being empty for too long.
- Evening Feed: Another significant feeding to carry animals through the night.
Example Schedule:
| Time | Activity | Purpose |
| :-------- | :-------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------- |
| 6:00 AM | Deliver main ration (grain/mix) | Start the day with essential nutrients. |
| 10:00 AM| Check bunks, deliver small top-up if needed | Maintain fresh feed, stimulate intake. |
| 2:00 PM | Deliver second main ration | Provide sustained energy for afternoon growth. |
| 6:00 PM | Check bunks, add forage (hay racks) | Ensure continuous access to hay and clean bunks. |
Feed Management Strategies
Effective feedlot management extends beyond simply putting feed in front of cattle.
- Diet Formulation: Rations are developed by animal nutritionists using sophisticated software, balancing nutrient requirements with feed ingredient costs. As cattle grow, their nutritional needs change, so diets are adjusted over time, transitioning from "starter" to "grower" to "finisher" rations.
- Bunk Management: Monitoring feed bunks is a crucial daily task. Feedlot managers assess how much feed is left from the previous day to adjust the next day's ration. The goal is to ensure bunks are almost clean but never empty, indicating optimal feed intake without waste.
- Animal Health Monitoring: Regular observation of cattle for signs of illness or digestive upset is critical. Early detection and treatment help minimize health issues and maintain productivity. For more information on cattle health, refer to resources from institutions like the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension.
- Environmental Factors: Weather conditions (temperature, humidity, precipitation) can impact feed intake and efficiency. Adjustments to rations or feeding times may be necessary during extreme weather.
By meticulously managing feed delivery, diet composition, and animal well-being, feedlots strive to produce healthy, efficient cattle. Further insights into feedlot operations can be found through organizations like the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
