Why do cattle go to feedlots?

The main purpose of feedlots is to help the animal reach a certain weight as efficiently as possible. This happens through providing a steady, high energy diet and managing the cattle to minimize health problems and stress.

Are cattle feedlots profitable?

“Feedlots have been very profitable and have an incentive to go ahead and keep placing cattle. They placed all the heavyweight cattle they normally would place and placed lightweight cattle as well,” Peel said. Feedlots have suffered a lot over much of the last few years, and they’re finally profitable.

How much does a feedlot make per cow?

Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka projects cash profit margins for cow-calf producers in 2021 will average $123 per cow. For feedyards, Nalivka projects an average profit of $43 per head in 2021, and packer margins are projected to average $251 per head.

How long do cattle stay in feedlots?

four to six months
Here cattle typically spend four to six months, during which time they have room to move around and eat at feed bunks containing a carefully-balanced diet made up of roughage (such as hay, grass and fiber), grain (such as corn, wheat and soybean meal) and local renewable feed sources (such as the tops of sugar beet …

What are the pros and cons of feedlots?

When cattle are housed on feedlots, workers, managers, and/or farmers may monitor animals more closely. Disadvantage of feedlots is that cattle stand in small, crowded areas in their own feces and urine all the time. Another big concern and/or disadvantage of CAFO’s is E. coli contamination.

Are feedlots good?

Over the past half-century, feedlots have continued to improve efficiency-wise, generating more beef per animal in a shorter period of time, and this higher productivity has resulted in lower environmental impacts per pound of beef, especially when compared with grass-finishing systems.

How much do feedlots make per head?

For feedyards, Nalivka calculates an average profit of $112 for 2020, or $73 per head better than the estimated $39 per head in 2019. Average profits per head were estimated at $24 in 2018, and $181 in 2017.

How much profit does a head of cattle make?

Sterling Marketing president John Nalivka projects cash profit margins for cow-calf producers in 2021 will average $125 per cow. For feedyards, Nalivka projects an average profit of $1 per head in 2021, and packer margins are projected to average $304 per head.

How old is a calf when it is transported to a feedlot?

Most of the cattle coming into feedlots are around 700 to 800 pounds and are around a year of age. When they first come into the feedlot they are vaccinated, ear tagged, and started on a high forage diet. The longer they are in the feedlot, the more their diets become concentrated with grains and high energy products.

How many acres do you need for a feedlot?

Approximately 1 acre of land is required per 100 head of cattle for pen space, alleys and feed roads and 1/4 to 1 acre of land per 100 head of cattle is required for the waste control facility, depending on the type of system. All extraneous runoff needs to be diverted away from the feedlots and roads.

What is a disadvantage of a feedlot?

One environmental downside of feedlots is that the way they concentrate and store manure often leads to high levels of local air and water pollution. In addition, runoff of nitrogen-rich manure into waterways can contribute to “dead zones” in coastal areas.