Multiple finishing

[504RP]

How are feed lots able to finish hundreds of head at a time the way they do ?

So far most that I have talked to will stress how important it is to start out with a small ration and slowly increase that ration.

I don't see what would keep some cattle getting their ration and then most of the calfs ration feeding next to them at the feed bunk the way cattle do when you feed them at your farm.

It looks like it would be easy for a stronger calf to get more than it was intended for it to get and get acidosis because of it ?

Some of you who finish 6 to 12 head at a time . Do you feed all of them at the same time ?

If so have you ever had a calf die feeding that way ?

 

[Buck Randall]

Assuming all of them are big enough to eat well and know what they're doing, it's mostly about making sure you have enough bunk space for the small ones to eat without being bullied. Slant bars help keep the big ones from dominating a disproportionate share of the bunk.

Edit to add: The really big feedlots are almost exclusively feeding TMR, so grain overload isn't really an issue if the ration is balanced well. They all get their fill of the same feed.

 

[504RP]

Assuming all of them are big enough to eat well and know what they're doing, it's mostly about making sure you have enough bunk space for the small ones to eat without being bullied. Slant bars help keep the big ones from dominating a disproportionate share of the bunk.

Edit to add: The really big feedlots are almost exclusively feeding TMR, so grain overload isn't really an issue if the ration is balanced well. They all get their fill of the same feed.

TMR ? What is that ?

 

[SBMF 2015]

TMR ? What is that ?

Total Mix Ration. All the feed that the animal gets to eat for the day is mixed together and fed once or twice a day.
YouTube TMR MIXER This is a dairy ration, but it's the same idea.

 

[504RP]

Total Mix Ration. All the feed that the animal gets to eat for the day is mixed together and fed once or twice a day.
YouTube TMR MIXER This is a dairy ration, but it's the same idea.

Thanks

 

[SmallTimin]

How are feed lots able to finish hundreds of head at a time the way they do ?

So far most that I have talked to will stress how important it is to start out with a small ration and slowly increase that ration.

I don't see what would keep some cattle getting their ration and then most of the calfs ration feeding next to them at the feed bunk the way cattle do when you feed them at your farm.

It looks like it would be easy for a stronger calf to get more than it was intended for it to get and get acidosis because of it ?

Some of you who finish 6 to 12 head at a time . Do you feed all of them at the same time ?

If so have you ever had a calf die feeding that way ?

The traps that I precondition cattle in, I feed about 30 head at time. But any yearling that doesn't start gaining gets put in a different pen. I sort hard gainers and bottom Enders to be with their kind. This lets strong, big eating yearlings eat their fill, and it gives the weaker cattle a better chance to catch up. The only acidosis I've experienced is in pens that had a lot of Johnson grass during a dry spell. The Johnson grass makes good hay, but I don't like it to be grazed.

 

[Jacob]

Our calves are born within a 45 to 60 day window so they are similar in size when we start feeding. I stagger my processing dates by 14 to 30 days apart as cattle will finish at a little different time but for the most part I can get them close and send them to the processor when ready. We weigh every 30 to 45 days during the finishing process and adjust feed based on gains. I also believe you need enough bunk space and feed enough that everyone gets there fill for the day. We feed between 2 and 2.5% of body weight and adjust accordingly every time they are weighed.

 

[Stickney94]

Large feedlots use ionosphores, implants, mixed rations, and other feed additives to help with both rate of gain and health. I'm not sure how much they still use antibiotics but those were also used heavily in feedlots.

 

[SBMF 2015]

I'm not sure how much they still use antibiotics but those were also used heavily in feedlots.

VFD's put a stop to this. The good cattle feeders only used feed grade antibiotics when they needed get treat an outbreak. In comparison only a few bad apples used antibiotics as a crutch to enhance cattle performances.