Cattle Feed Lot Tour
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Visiting Cattle Feedyards
When you visit a cattle feedyard, which is something cattle feedyard managers encourage, closely inspect the condition and layout of their cattle feeding facilities.
Starting with the receiving and shipping area, look for cleanliness, ease of movement and close proximity to the scale. A clean, slip-proof cattle chute or ramp like this is a good sign.
Other very important questions to ask are about the cattle feedyard security. Is the receiving/shipping area well-lit for night cattle deliveries, which can help avoid summer heat stress on your cattle? Who will be there to unload your cattle at midnight? Is there a night watchman on guard?
When your calves are unloaded, their first home will be temporary cattle feedyard receiving pens like these.
Cattle then go immediately to the scale, which you can see is just down the alley here. Then the cattle are off to the processing barn, which is the white building in the upper left corner.
Cattle feedyard managers at Cactus Feeders say their goal is to get cattle processed within 24 hours. Another question to ask the cattle feedyard manager is who are your primary and secondary contact people at the yard? We believe that one employee to every 1,000 head of cattle is a good ratio.
