“Confinement Feeding Cows”
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
Here’s hoping this article is completely irrelevant for 2013.
As spring calving season draws to a close, we move forward to planning for summer grazing. But in the event that spring and summer rains don’t provide for a full summer of grazing for all or part of the cow herd, confinement feeding is one viable option.
Confinement feeding of cows should not be approached lightly; there are many critical factors to consider.
- Do you have adequate feed on-hand?
- Do you have appropriate pens, fences, feed bunks, water tanks, feeding equipment, and processing facilities?
- Can you afford to ship to off-site pasture?
- Do you have access to crop residue?
- Are your cows well-vaccinated?
- Are your costs lower than those of a custom feedyard?
- Where will you calve out the cows next spring?
- Can you alter your breeding, weaning, and culling strategies to minimize costs of shipping and feeding the herd?
Each of these questions leads to numerous additional and essential questions. Culling down the herd, only to rebuild later may be cost-prohibitive. Before you make that very difficult decision, make sure you’ve explored every possible avenue. Involve multiple trusted outside experts to ensure that even non-traditional feeding options and possibilities are explored.
Confinement feeding of cows is not easy, and may not be right for every producer. But if it is feasible, it may be a cost-effective way for producers to keep the factory together through difficult times.
