1. Beef Cattle Housing and Equipment
Chapter 18

2. Objectives
Describe the steps in planning for facilities and equipment for beef enterprises
Describe the facilities and equipment required for beef enterprises

3. Planning for Facilities and Equipment
Careful planning is important for success
Facilities and equipment vary with each farm
Careful planning can
Make cattle handling easier
Help to save labor
Make facilities safe for operators and cattle

4. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Number of Cattle
Must be determined early on
Number based on many factors including
Availability of feed
Availability of labor
Availability of housing and equipment

5. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Space Requirements
Facilities are based on the number of cattle
Only build what is necessary for current operation
Plan for future expansion

6. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Kind of Facilities
Depends on the type of beef enterprise
Facilities can be classified as one of the following
Confinement
Open barn and feedlot
Open feedlot
Feeding barn and lot

7. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Location of Facility/Environmental Factors
Easy access to good roads
Plan for easy movement of cattle
Direction of prevailing winds must be considered
Runoff must be controlled
Must be well-drained

8. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Feed Storage and Handling
Vary from simple, manual systems to complex, automated
System must allow for expansion
Must have an adequate power supply

9. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Amount of Land
Varies with the size of the operation
There must be enough space for
Lots
Alleys
Storage
Roadways
Allow for future expansion

10. Planning for Facilities and Equipment (cont.)
Money, Labor, and Opportunity for Expansion
The amount of money available determines size and kind of facility
The system type determines the amount of labor
Amount of automation affects labor requirement

11. Cow Herd Facilities Generally require the simplest facilities
Cows can be on pasture in spring and fall
Need minimum shelter in the winter
Separate feedlot areas needed for different cattle
A corral with essential features is needed
A good water supply is needed

12. Feedlots Confinement Barns Cold confinement
Open on one side, away from prevailing winds
Temperature is the same as outside temperature
Pole-type building or open-span construction
Requires less labor than other feed facilities
Large number of advantages

13. Feedlots (cont.) Confinement Barns (cont.) Warm confinement
Closed building
Kept warmer than outside temperatures
Most expensive type of barn
Not recommended for cattle-feeding systems

14. Feedlots (cont.) Confinement Barns (cont.) Three common floor systems
Solid bedded
Slotted
Solid flushing
Have wall heights of 12 to 16 feet
Feed bunks, waterers placed properly
Movement of manure should be considered

15. Feedlots (cont.) Open Feedlots Have no buildings
Protected by windbreak fence, sunshades
Usually not paved
Dirt mounds are used to keep cattle out of mud
Require more land
Good drainage and runoff are important

16. Feedlots (cont.) Open Barn and Feedlot
Protection is provided by a open-front barn
Feeding done in an open lot
Facility common in the Midwest
This facility is adapted to smaller feedlots
Usually not paved
Cattle-handling facilities are part of this facility

17. Feedlots (cont.) Feeding Barn and Lot
Very similar to the open barn and feedlot
Primary difference is feed bunks are located inside the barn
Feed and cattle are both protected from the weather

18. Corrals Provide several advantages Corrals should consist of
Sorting, holding, and crowding pens
Working chute
Headgates
Tilting table and dipping vat
Loading chute

19. Corrals (cont.)

20. Corrals (cont.)

21. Feeding Facilities Feed Storage and Processing Silos
Upright silos: gas-tight and conventional types
Horizontal silos: include trench, bunker, and stack type
Sealed silos
Hay can be stored in bales
Can be fed with a hay self-feeder

22. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Storage and Processing (cont.)

23. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Storage and Processing (cont.)

24. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Storage and Processing (cont.)
Auger, elevators, and other conveying equipment are used for easy handling of grain

25. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Storage and Processing (cont.)
Portable mixer
Grinders used for processing grain, roughage
Electric blender-grinder
Concentrates can be measured, ground, and mixed
Does not handle roughage

26. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Storage and Processing (cont.)
Electric batch mill
Accurate control over ration formulation
Hay mills and tub grinders
Process roughages
Feed centers may be located in an area away from the feedlot and transported

27. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks
Kinds of feed bunks used for feeding
Portable lot bunks
Fence-line bunks
Mechanical bunks
Covered bunks

28. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks (cont.)
Portable lot bunks
Made of wood
Less expensive than other bunks
Fourteen feet in length
Three to five feet wide
Flat-bottomed and V-shaped bottoms are used

29. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks (cont.)
Mechanical bunks
Require a huge capital investment
Two types – auger, chain-slat conveyor
All bunks require wiring, electric motors, and electric controls
Wide, as cattle eat from both sides

30. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks (cont.)
Fence-line bunks
Well adapted to large feedlots
Made of wood or concrete
Usually wider at the top than the bottom
Some designed with roof for weather protection

31. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks (cont.)

32. Feeding Facilities (cont.)
Feed Bunks (cont.)
Covered bunks
Have a covered roof
Provide protection for mechanical feeding equipment and shade for cattle
In north, placed so sun can reach bunk for thawing

33. Other Equipment Cattle gain better with good, fresh, clean water
Automatic waterers may be used
Concrete water troughs also used
Frost-free hydrants can be used to supply water to a trough

34. Other Equipment (cont.)
Commercial mineral feeders
Weather vane
Sunshades
Can lower temperatures by 10 degrees
Back rubbers
Creep feeders, self-feeders, calf shelters

35. Other Equipment (cont.)
Cattleguard
Allows equipment to be driven into an area so the operator does not have to stop
More expensive than traditional gates
Don’t use if trespassing, vandalism is problem
Most cattle are afraid to cross
Bos indicus cattle less afraid to jump guard

36. Other Equipment (cont.)