Livestock Growth and Performance

Livestock growth and performance is monitored according to set feedlot norms.

When Should Operations be Assessed?

An assessment should only be conducted when the site is operating under normal conditions. For example, do not perform an assessment during a period of disease-outbreak or when another serious factor or factors may be impacting the operation creating “abnormal” conditions whereas the feed yard is not exhibiting “normal” operational conditions (ex: extreme weather conditions, natural disaster, etc.). Additionally, an assessment should not be conducted if doing so, would force animals to be handled or moved during conditions which may be detrimental to animal well-being. Minimally, an assessment should be conducted every three years. Some operations may decide to conduct an assessment more frequently.

Assessment Forms

The assessment forms have been designed in an assessment-flow pattern to help the assessor eliminate backtracking and/or moving inside/outside/inside, etc. However, these forms cannot account for all situations and the assessment-order is only a suggested order, the assessment may be completed in any order as deemed appropriate by the assessor.

Choosing Pens/Animals to Assess

Efforts should be made to randomly select pens, water troughs, feed bunks and cattle for the assessment. This could include use of the feed yard’s “yard sheet” or drawing numbers from a hat or box to identify pens that will be subject to the assessment prior to driving/walking around the feed yard. The yard sheet will also help ensure that pens being assessed are currently occupied with cattle. A minimum of ten pens should be assessed. If a feed yard has less than tens pens with cattle in them, all pens with cattle present should be assessed.

Additionally, the assessor should make an effort to assess pens, water troughs, feed bunks and cattle in areas such as the receiving/shipping pens and hospital(s). The number of those areas assessed will be feed yard-specific and dependent upon the size of the feed yard and types of facilities available.

Optimal Feed Intakes are Ensured

Diets for all classes of beef cattle should meet the recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC) and/or recommendations of a nutritional consultant. For local recommendations and advice, contact your state agricultural extension as a potential resource.

• Cattle must have access to an adequate water supply. Estimated water requirements for all classes of beef cattle in various production settings are described in the National Academy of Sciences NRC Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle.
• Provide adequate feed. Avoid feed and water interruption longer than 24 hours.
• Feedstuffs and feed ingredients should be of satisfactory quality to meet nutritional needs.
• Under certain circumstances (e.g., droughts, frosts, and floods), test feedstuffs or other dietary components to determine the presence of substances that can be detrimental to cattle well-being, such as nitrates, prussic acid, mycotoxins, etc.
• Producers should become familiar with potential micronutrient deficiencies or excesses in their respective geographical areas and use appropriately formulated supplements.
• Use only USDA, FDA and EPA approved products for use in cattle. These products must be used in accordance with the approved product use guidelines.

Click here to download a handout that explains feeding guidelines.