K-State Research and Extension

“Mud Mitigation”

by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist  

As cattle people we grudgingly accept the various natural elements as part of the cost of doing business. Rain, snow, ice, and extreme temperatures are part of life in Kansas for ranchers and cattle feeders. And each of these factors that move animals outside of their comfort zone, called the “thermo neutral zone”, steals a measure of performance. With respect to mud, however, we know that the cost of fighting mud on lost performance is high, and we can prepare for the inevitability of it.

Researchers have estimated that although pastern-level mud has little effect on performance, hock-deep mud is costly. Gain will be reduced by 1/3 to ½ when cattle are fighting foot-deep mud. The energy required to reach the bunk or water trough increases dramatically so part of their intake energy is lost to this energy expenditure; the stress of fighting the mud will actually discourage cattle from making the trek to the bunk causing reduced intake; cattle have a hard time finding a comfortable resting area causing an increase in energy use just standing around instead of lying down; wet hide from laying in the mud will cause cold stress and shivering to increase.

When we consider that only about half of animals’ normal daily energy intake is going toward gain on “stress-free” days, all of these increases in energy expenditure dramatically cut into what is left over for gain.

Preparing for mud won’t eliminate these costs entirely, but we can reduce them.

1. Mounds within the pen. Cattle should have about 25 ft² of mound space per animal. Mounds should have a slope of about 1:5 on the sides to facilitate moisture to flow away from the cattle and the ‘valleys’ between mounds should slope about 3-4% away from the bunk. The mound end that is nearest the bunk should connect directly to the concrete bunk pad so that cattle don’t have to slog through deep mud to get to the bunk.
2. Increase pen space per animal. Whereas 125 ft² of pen space might be adequate during dry conditions in the summer, 350 ft² may be barely sufficient during wet conditions. Adjust animal density as conditions dictate.
3. Smooth pen surfaces using a scraper or box blade whenever the weather allows. The longer that muddy conditions persist, the worse the pen conditions will become and cattle will have an even greater difficulty moving throughout the pen.

Living and raising cattle in Kansas has many rewards. By preparing pens this fall ahead of the wet and cold times sure to come, we can get through fall, spring, and winter with minimal loss of performance, and reap the financial rewards next year.