great plains veterinary educational center beef feedlot industry structure / economics / marketing /...

Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

Beef Feedlot Industry

Structure / Economics / Marketing / Husbandry / Management / etc.


How Cattle Feeding Developed• Cattle drives 1860’s• Beef feedlots are a post WWII development

– Developed about grain production– Center pivot irrigation allowed grain

production in arid areas with low human population density

• Packing plants moved to the cattle

• http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/crops_08.html• http://www.asiakan.org/history/history_beef_kansas.shtml

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/crops_08.html• http://www.asiakan.org/history/history_beef_kansas.shtml

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/crops_08.html

http://www.asiakan.org/history/history_beef_kansas.shtml

http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/crops_08.html

http://www.asiakan.org/history/history_beef_kansas.shtml


Mid Size Feedyard


Cattle Industry Structure

• ~ 89 million cattle–9 million dairy cows–28 million beef cows–28 million finished fed

• Age when finished … < 30 mo.• Average age when finished 24 mo.


U.S. Cattle Total Numbers


Cattle Feeding Economics

• It is all about cost of production!!!–Grain vs Forage … Feed/Gain (FE)–Traditional vs Natural … FE–Natural vs Organic … Questionable –The real deal may be health cost

• Time is an overhead cost


Cattle Feeding Economics

• Price Risk Management–The markets …

• http://www.cme.com • http://www.cbot.com

–Breakeven (…BE.xls)


Veterinarians Role

In Feedyards


Production Management

• Decision Management–Science Based–Economic Based–Decision priorities

• Manage – Genetic … Nutrition … Health … Marketing

Impact of decisions


Production Management… Multidiscipline

Can’t manage what you don’t measure …

• Nutrition• Selection• Marketing• Economics• Financial• Environmental

RECORDS !!! But not for records sake

• Health– Treatment– Vaccinations– Biosecurity– Parasite Control– Quality Assurance– Animal Welfare


Value Added Services

• Provide Factual Reviews–Reproduction: Pg, BSE, Efficiency–Health: Management & Targeted … $–Nutrition: BCS, resource mgnt–Genetic: Selection and Culling–Marketing / Business / Financial


Lungs Lungs … MOST will NOT be associated with condemnation

Minor Adhesions Look Like … Spider Web Strands



Note the Skirt is adhered to the lung.



Note the Skirt is adhered to the lung.

Note: Lung was condemned … this is good evidence there was an active infection

(could also record as “Active LN”)

Note: Most of both sides are missing.


(could also record as “Active LN”) Note: Part of Lung is still in the chest




(could also record as “Active LN”)

Note: Young Lesions are Bloody


Possible Management Areas• Health Maintenance Management• Medical Management

– Treatment Protocols– Necropsy

• Nutrition … Focus on newly received cattle

• Data management & analysis• Environmental• Marketing … at least understand it!• Quality Assurance … training & monitoring


Multiply Yourself Through People


Special Areas

Finding Sick Cattle

Feeding Sick Cattle

Tic if implant info


Select appropriate high quality products

• Most commonly, BRD has a head start in high-stressed young commingled cattle.


Processing Table Example


Sick signs• Depression• Fill: shape & texture

– Loose feces• Stiffness• Nasal discharge & Watery eyes• Cough / breathing rate• Rectal Temperature ???

• Don’t let a thermometer do your thinkin’


How Sick Cattle Eat

• Pull any new calf that is slow to come to the bunkLook for sick cattle shortly after putting out feed.


Sick: Intake vs. Temp

Intake & Temp Response To IBR ChallengeAdapted from Hutchenson, Cole & Mock 1985

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

-7 -5 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Intake

Temp


Durable Cure & DART• The goal:

– 1) A first-time treated animal is more likely to become a high-performing, profitable animal ;

– 2) That animal stays with its group mates and does not suffer a disease relapse.

• D.A.R.T. – An acronym for four areas that MUST be thoroughly

assessed and monitored, – especially high stress or high risk of disease. – Depression, Appetite, Respiratory index & Temperature.


Finding Sick Cattle

Early… may be an

impossible job


Simply Put …It is all up to you.

• Involvement can be … • As simple as providing on

call service• As complex as being part of

a management team


What You Need to Know &Think About When Selecting Antibiotics

The objective will be to help folks better understand:

1) how antibiotics work … clinically2) antibiotic classes … & what makes them different3) how to think through developing treatment protocols4) understand dose management & resistance

development5) how to select a proper antibiotic for different diseases6) how the other things given sick cattle can influence an

antibiotic's effectiveness7) how to know when to switch8) which antibiotic would make a better choice when a

switch is need if an animal doesn't respond9) when to quit 10) potential residue considerations & management

great plains veterinary educational center beef feedlot industry structure / economics / marketing /...

Documents

feedyards slide

chest slide

overhead cost slide

cattle http

condemnation note

developed cattle

active ln note

cattle industry structure