feed lots

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lilrocknw

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Hi I am doing a speech about what they feed cows in the feedlots and was wondering if you could help me out. I heard they feed them chocolate m&m's is this true? How does being in the feedlots affect the cows and how does it affect our food? Please help thanks
 
lilrocknw":zvrtqr84 said:
Hi I am doing a speech about what they feed cows in the feedlots and was wondering if you could help me out. I heard they feed them chocolate m&m's is this true? How does being in the feedlots affect the cows and how does it affect our food? Please help thanks

Feeding cattle is big business. There's an opportunity to make a profit and an opportunity to lose big bucks in the feedlot industry. Feedlots hire people with animal nutrition degrees to create a balanced feed ration for the cattle. Ingredients in the ration will depend on what's available to the feedlot at the lowest cost, yet still insure the cattle get the nutrients they need to stay healthy, gain weight quickly, and produce quality beef. I haven't ever heard of a feedlot feeding chocolate, but I have heard of ranchers feeding old candy during droughts, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of them do occasionally include some candy in the feed ration.

Putting young cattle on feed is stressful for them. On the other hand, they could do worse than spend the last few weeks of their lives safe from predators, with their own kind, and all the food they can eat.

Beef from feedlots is safe and nutritious. It's also cheaper for consumers than grass fed or ogranic beef. Cheaper means more people can afford to benefit from eating nutrient dense beef.
 
grannysoo":29kx75wx said:
I don't think that it was chocolate m&ms that were being fed. Last I heard it was chocolate truffles....
Yes, granny that is true, but during the Xmas time, it changes to chocolate covered cherries. ...
 
Frankie":3w28bwez said:
Beef from feedlots is safe and nutritious. It's also cheaper for consumers than grass fed or organic beef. Cheaper means more people can afford to benefit from eating nutrient dense beef.
Sounds like a sales pitch for feedlot beef :D
Unlike Organic and/or Grassfed, which require pasture, Cattle raised in a feedlot are raised in unnatural conditions. Very crowded,generally very muddy, fed large amounts of grain. All of which contribute to the poor health of the animal.,requiring the use of large amounts of antibiotics. In order to reduce production costs the animals may be given growth hormones. These hormones increase the growth rate of the animal thus increasing feed efficiency. Some people feel that the added antibiotics and growth hormones affect human health. The feedlots are very good at producing large amounts of beef at very low prices.
Some people prefer Organic or Grassfed beef raised in a more natural setting because they believe it is more healthy to do so. Research is continuing in this area. As the demand for Organic/Grassfed Beef increases the prices should fall in line with the feedlot beef.
My sales pitch :D
 
Limomike":2km3cvmi said:
grannysoo":2km3cvmi said:
I don't think that it was chocolate m&ms that were being fed. Last I heard it was chocolate truffles....
Yes, granny that is true, but during the Xmas time, it changes to chocolate covered cherries. ...

'Specially them little ones with the liquor in them! :banana:
 
I believe feedlots typically feed high energy diets in order to get the cattle to gain weight as quickly as possible. This usually translates to a high content of certain grains such as corn and oats.
 
Limomike":3tghk321 said:
grannysoo":3tghk321 said:
I don't think that it was chocolate m&ms that were being fed. Last I heard it was chocolate truffles....
Yes, granny that is true, but during the Xmas time, it changes to chocolate covered cherries. ...

If they feed M&M's I want to go!

That ain't M&M's I'm smelling over Amarillo, though. :oops:
 
First off very few "COWS" are feed lotted for beef production purposes.
Its young "Heifers" or "steers" or the group classsification of "calves".

M@M's are food-- fed with the right balance of other nutrients it makes an excellent ingredient.

Grass Fed may or may not be better than feedlot fed beef-- It really doesn't matter. The average income and below person would not be able to afford to eat beef if it was all grass fed . So promote grass fed all you want as being better-- but its just WRONG to try and vilify traditional feedlotting to increase market share.
Animals will not produce lbs to market efficiently if they are not kept content and comfortable-- obviously the feedlot environment meets their needs.
 
Never saw it in feed lots but a friend feeds m&m's, sugar cookies, whatever is available as part of a diet for dairy cows. He mixes it with corn, homminy, silage, soybean, cottonseed, or whatever is available at a fair price. He tests all of it to be sure it meets their requirements.
 
Interesting stuff here!
Seriously, I wouldn't be suprised if outdated candy made it to the feedlot. U R not going to find someone purchasing candy at your local Walmart to feed his cows though. That would be a misconception. I know of cases where feeders picked up outdated Hostes products (bread, ho hos, ding dongs, cherry pies, etc.; for free, otherwise thrown in the landfill by Hostes) and feed it to the cows. I used to dig through the piles myself and get my favorites before the cows got em. Also, used to dig through McDonalds dumpsters on the rodeo trail, but that's a different topic.

Often you will find feedlots and dairies in areas of high Ag. production and food processing locations. Byproducts are picked up by the operators and fed. Often ensilaged first if it is a vegetable product of some kind, but often just feed outright as well.

Overly simplified; cows need roughage, protein, and energy in their diet. Often the rougage comes in the form of ground straw. Protein can be added by good alfalfa hay (usually expensive to feed in a lot though; not so for dairies they pump up the alfalfa) silage, oh gosh many sources for protein, and carbohydrates; usually in the form of grain (corn most popular). The carbohydrates or energy can come from molassas, possibly candy, grain, beet pulp, thrown out bread, etc. With that over generalization you have to realize that ALL dairy rations are scientifically formulated from known values provided by forage tests. Dairy nutritionists are sticklers and rightly so for milk production. Most feedlot operators like to strictly calculate their rations as well, but are much more cost conscientious about the feed they buy. Candy, breads, and other processed carbs would be hard to calculate or formulate but I can see it happening when the price is right. I have seen it happen.

I am happy to see some of the points mentioned by others as to the benefits of feedlots and costs, etc.. Most anti-feedlot people don't like to see the postive aspects of feeding. One often overlooked aspect is the use of byporducts that would otherwise go to the landfill. These byproducts are turned into a terrific protein source for human consumption instead of going to the landfill.
 
lilrocknw":1nwjz97w said:
Hi I am doing a speech about what they feed cows in the feedlots and was wondering if you could help me out. I heard they feed them chocolate m&m's is this true? How does being in the feedlots affect the cows and how does it affect our food? Please help thanks

While you are doing it you should also explain why the cattle industry uses feed lots. If you don't know its really quite simple. Its to create a steady, reliable supply of meat. Without feedlots, buying beef would be like buying fresh tomatoes - a seasonal thing.
 
RanchManager":13i1p7vt said:
. Most anti-feedlot people don't like to see the postive aspects of feeding. .

My thoughts exactly . I have been alittle suspicious of this thread from the start .

Larry
 
Howdyjabo":nfdwahnf said:
First off very few "COWS" are feed lotted for beef production purposes.
Its young "Heifers" or "steers" or the group classsification of "calves".

M@M's are food-- fed with the right balance of other nutrients it makes an excellent ingredient.

Grass Fed may or may not be better than feedlot fed beef-- It really doesn't matter. The average income and below person would not be able to afford to eat beef if it was all grass fed . So promote grass fed all you want as being better-- but its just WRONG to try and vilify traditional feedlotting to increase market share.
Animals will not produce lbs to market efficiently if they are not kept content and comfortable-- obviously the feedlot environment meets their needs.

I agree that feedlots make cheap beef. But the idea that the cattle are kept content and comfortable?

My 8th edition Merck Veterinary Manual says that up to 40% of cattle slaughtered in the US had liver abscesses. These are caused by the high carbohydrate diets which make the rumen acidic, causing rumenitis and rumen ulcers allowing bacteria to get to the liver. Acidosis also causes laminitis of the feet, lameness - a big problem in dairy cows.

I'm not sure how you get nutritious beef out of candy. I guess if I feed my kids M&M's and donuts and give them a vitamin/mineral supplement they are well fed?
 
"I agree that feedlots make cheap beef. But the idea that the cattle are kept content and comfortable?"

Its not an "idea" its proven out with production numbers

"My 8th edition Merck Veterinary Manual says that up to 40% of cattle slaughtered in the US had liver abscesses."

YUpp- and the cattle don't even know they are there. I will agree that there are some feeders that don't manage the feeds properly and run into metabolic issues that are detrimental to the calves comfort and health. But they are in the minority because you can't make money and hurt your stock. Painting the whole system the same because of a few bad apples is just stupid. The normal liver abscesses are a concern not because of the calves health/growth but because of not being able to sell the blemished liver.


"Acidosis also causes laminitis of the feet, lameness - a big problem in dairy cows."

Guess you are against dairys and most kids being able to have milk too :)


"I'm not sure how you get nutritious beef out of candy. I guess if I feed my kids M&M's and donuts and give them a vitamin/mineral supplement they are well fed?[/quote]

now you are just being dense and objectionable- reread my original post again.
 
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/SP40.pdf

I'm not getting into this one.
This was in the link above that talks about the cattle feed...

Bakery byproducts—Materials from bread, cookies, cakes, crackers, fl ours, doughs, and candy are available. They are fed primarily as sources of energy, but they also can supply signifi cant amounts of protein or minerals.

Fats and oils—Depending on price, they may be an economical source of energy.
 
If you raise cattle for the commercial market- you had better be getting into conversations like this.
The do gooders will; distort and sensationalize based on moral rightousness; and do you right out of a worthy business.
 
Howdyjabo":3cc3g4fs said:
First off very few "COWS" are feed lotted for beef production purposes.
Its young "Heifers" or "steers" or the group classsification of "calves".

M@M's are food-- fed with the right balance of other nutrients it makes an excellent ingredient.

Grass Fed may or may not be better than feedlot fed beef-- It really doesn't matter. The average income and below person would not be able to afford to eat beef if it was all grass fed . So promote grass fed all you want as being better-- but its just WRONG to try and vilify traditional feedlotting to increase market share.
Animals will not produce lbs to market efficiently if they are not kept content and comfortable-- obviously the feedlot environment meets their needs.

I have the same feeling (for the most part). Feedlots arent a pretty picture like cattle in an open field but they do meet the demands of the cattle to keep them cost efficient.

Feedlots are about finding a balance between what conditions the cattle need to produce the most cost efficient beef. Its all about optimization.

About M&M's being used I could see it being possible (on a small and specific scale). Universally I doubt many feedlots do. It remind me of a Dirty Jobs episode where a man fed his pigs scraps from the las vegas restaurants. Good luck with your paper about feedlots. You will be able to talk alot about the pros and cons and then make your own opinion if its worth it/the best for the nation and the beef industry.
 
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