A feedlot is an intensive type of animal feeding operation which is used in intensive animal farming systems for finishing livestock to the market. Feedlots may contain thousands of animals in an array of pens. Feedlots do require legal permitting and must have plans in place to deal with the large amount of waste that is generated.
THERE ARE BASICALLY 3 TYPES OF FEEDLOTS:
On-farm feedlots – Beef are fattened in pens or large paddocks, using boughtin or home-grown feeds. Mostly weaners can be self-produced or bought in form other producers.
Commercial feedlots – the feedlot producers are not a primary beef producer but buys animals for the feedlot. The risks associated with feeding become the responsibility of the feedlot company.
Custom feedlots – the owner of the animals sends them to a feedlot to be fattened before being sold. In this case, the risk usually remains with the owner of the animal.
The management of a feedlot has a major influence on the profitability of the feedlot enterprise. Some of the crucial management factors include the following:
Ensuring that the right type of animal is bought at the right price and at the right time. In some larger feedlots, feedlot managers rely on the expertise of experienced buyers. With the wrong animal input, the economic output or result is doomed!
The nutrient content of the feedlot ration must be balanced. It must suit the type of animal and should be the most cost-effective ration available at the time.
In most feedlots, the manager achieves these goals by keeping records of animal performance. A nutritionist usually does the ration balancing because this is a highly specialised task.
The manager must make sure that the feed bins are always full, fresh water is always available, animals are processed and adapted on arrival, and are marketed when ready.
Disease can be a problem in a feedlot. A vet advising disease prevention and treatment of sick animals is a well justified cost.
Maximum weight gain against minimum time and cost is the name of the game!