Feedlot Fundamentals
Harnessing the full potential of the finishing phase requires a seamless integration of health, nutrition and partnership. From the importance of pre-arrival conditioning and transition protocols to the shifting dynamics of how pens are filled in today’s market, every decision impacts the bottom line. By exploring the nutritional development of stockers and the long-term effects of extended feeding on beef supply and carcass quality, producers can optimize cattle performance from the ranch to the rail.
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.9 million head on December 1, 2014.
Managing stress in the winter time can improve the performance of feedlot cattle. Cattle respond to cold stress by burning more calories to maintain body temperature.
A new report shows the number of cattle in Kansas feedlots is down 2 percent for the lowest June inventory since 1999.
South Dakota feedlots with capacities of 1,000 or more animals had 240,000 cattle on feed on Feb. 1, up 7 percent from last year.
The technology, marketed as FerAppease in the U.S., can be used in beef and dairy animals. Economic analysis, depending on the production stage of use, offers an ROI of 20:1 to 30:1.