How To Design Facilities For Raising Beef Cattle The Right Way

Visit successful cattle feeding operations to
help determine what facilities are needed, such
as a handling chute and head gate to properly
restrain animals when they are vaccinated,
implanted, or treated in a health
program.Various materials can be used for
feedlot fences, including boards, wire panels,
high-tensile wire, and steel cables.  A 7-
or 9-wire hightensile fence is one of the most
economical barriers.  Barbed wire is
not recommended. Another effective fence is a
combination of high-tensile wire (which can be
electrified) with three or four 2-by-6-inch
planks spaced between the wires.

Housing for feeder cattle does not have to be
extensive or weather tight-open-sided sheds and
more completely enclosed structures are equally
effective. Younger cattle require more shelter
than older cattle, especially for protection
from winter winds. All facilities should be
designed for the number of cattle fed and
include a good manure management program.Most
feedlots use concrete feed bunks that allow
cattle to feed from one or both sides, although
feed bunks of treated lumber also can be used.
Feed can be delivered through a mixer wagon,
conveyor with a belt or chain, or a bucket
loader.

To reduce mud, use concrete pads for areas
around feed bunks. Mounds that are 3 to 5 feet
high offer cattle relatively dry ground to rest
on. The feedlot area should be well drained with
topsoil removed to expose clay or other fairly
impervious surface. Whether the feedlot surface
is dirt, clay, concrete, or other material, it
should be cleaned periodically. Design the
facilities to prevent manure runoff into steams
or other waterways. Retention lagoons and
diversion ditches should be planned with the
advice and approval of regulatory agencies.

For many cattle farmers, raising cattle,
particularly grass-feeding cattle, has proven to
be the most cost effective and beneficial way of
making money since these cows thrive on grass, a
very vital resource that you can find in most
areas where cattle farming is rampant. Grass-fed
cattle are also beneficial to the consumers since
these cows have the most nutrients, aren't fed
growth hormones, and are normally stress-free in
life. If you're planning on raising cattle such
as these, you can do so in many different ways.
The two most popular would be to either start
with a small number of high quality cows and a
high quality bull herd to raise and breed the
stock or a number of high quality calves to feed
and raise until the calves reach a certain amount
of weight.

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Raising beef cattle can improve quality of life
and provide great satisfaction and
responsibility for families. Explore your
options and then decide. If you would like more
tips on building facilities and learn how to
raise cattle, please visit:
http://www.howtoraisecattle.com

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