Cattle Feed Lot Tour

Is the Feed Lot Set Up to Minimize Cattle Stress?

Larry Lindahl, Cactus Feeders feed lot manager, says to look at housekeeping in the cattle feed lot processing barns and hospital pens. Look at how the setup facilitates the flow of cattle through the chute and how noise and other factors could add or minimize cattle stress. Be sure to ask about processing programs for different types of cattle (calves vs. yearlings). You should also be prepared to give the cattle feed lot manager a detailed history of the vaccination and implant programs your cattle have experienced.

Ask how frequently the cattle feed lot cowboys or pen riders will look at your cattle, especially in the first 30 days when the cattle are adjusting to their new environment and sickness is more likely to hit. Some yards may pen high-risk cattle closer to the hospital pens for the first month or so.

Find out how many cattle hospital pens are in the yard, how close they are to the most distant pens and whether cattle are driven or hauled to the hospital if they get pulled. Remember that the more the cattle feed lot does to minimize stress to your cattle, the better. Find a cattle feed lot whose philosophy on treating cattle fits with your own.

Cattle feed lot hospital pens might be outside, either shaded or not, or inside a covered barn. Look for cleanliness.

An example of a medicine bill. Cactus Feeders keeps meticulous records on a daily basis for both feed and medicine. Be sure to ask how often you will be billed and look at a sample bill to make sure you understand what you're paying for.