Stop Mud from Sinking Your Cost of Gain

When feedyard profitability is on the table, producers naturally gravitate toward ration formulation, market volatility and receiving protocols. Yet, according to Connor Biehler, University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) Extension beef systems educator, cattle feeders might be overlooking one of the most reliable profit drivers right beneath their boots.

“When feedyard profitability is discussed, attention is often focused on feed costs, cattle prices and animal health,” Biehler explains in a recent UNL Beef Watch article. “While these are all important, some of the most valuable investments a feedyard can make are not found in the ration or processing barn. Facility improvements that enhance pen conditions, cattle comfort and labor efficiency can have lasting impacts on performance and cost of gain.”

The Hidden Cost of Mud

When pens soften into deep mud, the performance penalty is immediate. Cattle expend valuable net energy for maintenance just navigating to the bunk, intake can fluctuate and dressing percentages suffer.

“Poor pen conditions can quietly erode feed efficiency, increase maintenance requirements and drive up cost of gain throughout the feeding period,” Biehler warns. “While the weather cannot be controlled, feedyard design and maintenance decisions can help to minimize the impact of mud and protect profitability. After all, the greatest returns often come from investments that improve conditions for the cattle.”

Start with Pen Drainage

Before moving dirt to build resting areas, Biehler stresses water evacuation must be the top priority.

“If the water cannot leave the pen, other improvements can be made less effective,” Biehler says. “Poor drainage leads to mud accumulation which can reduce cattle comfort, increase energy for maintenance requirements and increase labor demands.”

To pinpoint vulnerabilities before rain or snowmelt arrives, Biehler recommends auditing pens with four essential questions:

1. Does water leave the pen quickly following a rainfall event?
2. Are there low spots where water consistently pools?
3. Are drainage channels remaining open and functional?
4. Is runoff from roads, fields or neighboring pens entering cattle pens?

If an audit reveals problem areas, Biehler outlines several proactive dirt-work strategies to restore positive flow:

• Level pens to eliminate low areas that collect water.
• Maintain proper pen slope toward exterior drainage channels.
• Clean ditches and drainageways regularly to prevent blockages.
• Divert runoff originating from adjacent roads, crop fields or uphill pens away from cattle confinement areas.
• Regularly remove manure accumulations that act as unintended dams and restrict drainage.
• Repair high-traffic transition zones, especially where hoof action along concrete bunks and waterers has altered natural drainage patterns.

Engineering Mounds That Actually Work

Even in a pen with ideal slope, extended wet periods inevitably soften pen floors. In those windows, elevated resting space becomes critical real estate.

“Even in well-drained pens, cattle benefit from having access to a dry resting area,” Biehler notes. “Pen mounds provide cattle with an elevated location that remains drier than the surrounding pen surface during muddy times.”

To ensure pen mounds deliver maximum performance benefits, Biehler recommends key engineering benchmarks:

• Mound Height: Maintain an adequate profile, generally 5 feet tall.
• Space Allowance: Provide at least 25 square feet per head of mound space.
• Shape Preservation: Actively repair erosion and loss of crown over time.
• Runoff Direction: Position and slope mounds so water sheds away from the resting area into primary drainage channels.

Mounds are not a “build-it-and-forget-it” asset; routine pen traffic gradually breaks them down. Biehler advises managers to watch for these key warning signs that mounds require maintenance:

1. Flattened profiles where the crest has been trampled level.
2. Standing water collecting near or around the base of the mound.
3. Excessive manure accumulation that compromises footing and bedding quality.
4. Cattle crowding onto a small remaining portion of the mound, indicating insufficient usable square footage.

Move Dirt When It’s Dry

Scraper and blade work might feel secondary during busy operational windows, but dirt work completed in dry weather pays dividends when the seasons change.

“Effective mud management starts long before wet conditions develop,” Biehler concludes. “The best strategy for managing mud is mitigating it before it becomes a problem. Feedyards that prioritize drainage and maintain functional pen mounds are often better equipped to minimize mud, improve cattle comfort and protect performance during wet conditions.”