Feed Lots ?

[MissouriExile]

An earlier poster asked how big a feed lot needs to be with 10 feeder cattle.
Is there an advantage to setting up a feed lot for just a few feeders instead of letting them graze on 30 or 40 acres (and feeding to whatever level you plan) ?
That is; does the confinement contribute to weight gain?

Now that I compose the question I am guessing that you could, by confining the cattle, use more of the acres to raise feed for them. Also; you could feed more cattle on a given amount of land?

Jon

 

[msscamp]

An earlier poster asked how big a feed lot needs to be with 10 feeder cattle.
Is there an advantage to setting up a feed lot for just a few feeders instead of letting them graze on 30 or 40 acres (and feeding to whatever level you plan) ?
That is; does the confinement contribute to weight gain?

Now that I compose the question I am guessing that you could, by confining the cattle, use more of the acres to raise feed for them. Also; you could feed more cattle on a given amount of land?

Jon

This question tends to get complicated, but I'll try to answer it. A feedlot needs to be big enough to allow the cattle to move around freely. Yes - confining them tends to allow them to put on weight better, but moving around is what develops muscle, burns off energy, and (coupled with an adequate amount of feed) makes them less likely to try to break the fences down trying to get out (usually). You are correct in thinking that by confining them, you can then use the fields to raise hay/grain/other crops - but you have to remember that all of those things cost money (diesel fuel, equipment, fertilizer, weed control, etc.), time, and labor, so it probably wouldn't be cost effective unless you had a large number of animals. There is also the cost/time of cleaning the feedlot, assuring proper drainage (lack thereof) so you don't have a problem with OSHA, health concerns due to being in a corral/pen vs a pasture/field, etc. You could feed a larger number of animals, but whether it would be cost/time effective would depend on the number of animals, as well as your particular goal for those animals. I'm sure I'm overlooking a number of things here, but I'm also sure other members will chime in and advise you of those things. I hope this helps.