Cactus Feeders - Virtual Feedlot Tour

Dirt work and environmental protocol should be important to the retained owner as well. Look at the layout of pens for slope and drainage. Make sure lagoons and other waste management tools are well-maintained. These are the things that keep pens clean and dry.

Dust control is also something to look for. Cactus Feedyard has two tractors driving down the lanes all day to wet down pens. Another strategy they have employed for dust control is cross-fencing pens, which concentrates the cattle more and, therefore, concentrates urine that acts as a natural "water truck." Their pens have about 9 inches of bunk space and 140 to 150 square feet of pen space per animal. When they cross-fence it, about one-third of the total pen space is fenced off.

This is an empty pen that has had some dirt work done to prepare it for winter. Pens are scraped and cleaned regularly and the mounds are built back up to give cattle a high, dry space. The yellow water trough in the middle of the pen is another very important thing to watch for. Particularly in larger pens, where tanks can be shared, be sure your cattle will have easy access to plenty of water.

Finally, as much as you can determine by the physical facilities, it's probably the people that will make the difference in choosing a feedyard. Paul Colman, right, and other reliable Cactus reps handle customer service and relations for Cactus Feeders. Both the feedyard manager and customer service folks can answer more questions for you. For example, what is your estimated breakeven? What types of marketing/finance programs can they offer? Is there risk management help available or partnering programs, etc.?

Other ways to evaluate a feedyard include independently seeking out other producers who have fed at the yard and having your banker look into the financial stability of the yard for you. If you're looking for a bottom line in choosing a feedyard, Engler has some advice. "If you drive into a feedyard and you have just one thing to evaluate, look at the housekeeping," he suggests. "If the manager is particular about the appearance of the yard, then he is probably going to be particular about taking care of your cattle."

We thank The Cattleman for their contributions to our virtual tour.