Record the Ingredients Mixed into the Feeds

No feedlot manager or operator will be able to make decisions about the adjustment of feeding practices without the necessary information being available to him or her. The only way in which the necessary information can be gathered is through the implementation of a thorough and well-managed recordkeeping system.

Effective feed bunk management is a key component in accomplishing the goals of any cattle feeding program.

It is therefore important that the correct bunker location and the practices applicable to the feed bunk are accurately recorded to carry out the three Rs.

Only through analysing the records and scoring system of each bunker can a feedlot manager then decide where to adjust feeding practices to optimise results.

The success of feedlot practices is dependent on various factors from the quality of ingredients used to feed the cattle to the amount of feed supplied and the times at which the feed is supplied. Other external factors can also have an effect on the feeding patterns of cattle, such as climatic conditions and so forth. Only through the collection of complete and intensive records and the capturing of these records will a feedlot manager or operator be able to make informed and well thought out decisions concerning the operation of his feedlot.

It is important that a feedlot manager have the ability to predict the effect that certain changes in practices will have on the performance of the feedlot. The effects that change in feed ingredients, such as the seasonal availability of certain concentrates, must be judged beforehand in order to determine the effect that these changes will have on the profitability of the enterprise. The only manner in which the feedlot operator or manager is able to make these predictions is through the analysis of records and the compilation of historical data obtained from these records.