Feedlots are the completion of the full circle of beef production. It is where the producer realizes the value of his or her inputs and changes at farm level, whilst producing a high-quality carcass. Management plays a crucial role in the success of a feedlot operation, which will support efficiency.
Nutrition is a crucial factor of feedlot performance. What we must however keep in mind is that cattle are grazers, which in their natural environment have constant access to feed (grazing). When transitioning them to intensive systems such as feedlots, we become responsible for their constant food supply. This constant food supply (and the management therof) is more crucial than ever as high nutrient-dense rations are fed in the feedlot, which poses greater risks to cattle than high roughage-based diets. This is due to the elevated starch content of feedlot rations, which could ultimately lead to acidosis and death. That is where good management practices step in, specifically feed bunk management.
Feedbunk management consists of several factors which will influence feed presentation: feed formulation, feed mixing, feed delivery management, raw material quality control and characteristics and feed processing.
Frequency and timing of feeding
Beef cattle are creatures of habit. As mentioned before, in their “natural environment” they have 24-hour access to feed, which supports microbial communities in their digestive tracts, which never stop functioning. Therefore, cattle in a feedlot must have feed in front of them throughout the whole day. To achieve this, enough fresh feed must be delivered on time. This must happen as frequently as possible; cattle must be fed at least once a day, where great benefit can be achieved with multiple feedings per day (2-5 feedings per day).
Cattle consume most of their feed at sunrise and sunset, therefore it is best to plan feed delivery around these two events. Should a producer be feeding twice a day, try to split the daily allowance that 60% of the feed is delivered at the last feeding (evening) of the day and 40% is provided at the first feeding of the day (morning). Should a producer opt for more than two feedings per day, this allows for better planning and management according to feed intake patterns observed at the specific feedlot.
By implementing multiple feedings per day, weather interruptions are managed optimally or completely eliminated. Inconsistent feed delivery leads to an increased incidence of digestive disorders, such as acidosis, bloat, and liver abscesses, which all have a negative effect on animal production. Poor feedbunk management results in inconsistent feed intake, which can suppress dry matter intake (DMI) and average daily gain (ADG) by 10-15%.
Try as best as possible to feed cattle at the same time every day, with a maximum leeway window of 30 minutes before the usual feeding to 30 minutes after the usual feeding time (for example, if cattle are usually fed at 8h00 in the morning, the earliest they can be fed is 7h30, and the latest 8h30). Producers can opt for different feedbunk management strategies, where bunks are scored and feed allocated according to score and phase of feeding, whilst simultaneously minimizing feed wastage.
Feed composition and changes
The aim in a beef feedlot is to maximize the dry matter intake of feedlot cattle; cattle that eat are cattle that grow. When increasing or decreasing the amount of feed offered to cattle, it is advisable to change it by a standard amount, usually 4 – 6% of dry matter intake, which equates to 250-375g of feed on a dry matter basis for beef calves weighing 250kg. Should a producer have increased or decreased the feed allowance today, wait three days before increasing or decreasing the feed allowance again.
A thumb rule is to have a third of the cattle at the bunks when the mixer wagon approaches, a third heading toward the bunk and the remainder showing interest in moving toward the bunk at feeding. If all cattle rush to the bunk at once, it is a clear indication that they are not being fed enough, frequently enough. Another sign of infrequent and/or insufficient feed allowance is feed troughs that have been licked “clean” by cattle.
Ration composition is another component of feedbunk management. There are usually four variations of one ration:
- The ration formulated by the nutritionist
- The ration mixed on the farm
- The ration that ends up in the feedbunk
- The ration consumed by the cattle
Disruptions in the diet composition may entail changes in moisture content, nutrient composition and quality. These disruptions occur when producers change between raw material suppliers, or when raw materials become unavailable for formulation. These are the disruptions that are often disregarded, but have a great impact on animal performance. One such an example is the inconsistent quality (and hence starch composition, which can be as low as 50% that of maize) of hominy chop in South Africa. Although a very useful and economic energy source, its greatest shortcoming is the inconsistency of its nutritional composition; due to its variations in starch composition, cattle are in a constant “adaptation phase” due to varying levels of starch.
The perception exists that the greatest effect of feedlot performance is nutritional composition. Although crucial, it is clear that the management of the feedbunk and the feed that ends up in the bunk is just as shares importance as nutritional formulation.
