BeefEx Wrap

ONE NSW feedlot is banking an additional $47 per animal thanks to partially covering its pens with an Entegra Ridgeback® and providing wood chip bedding.

That’s according to the cost benefit analysis from Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) research into partially covering housing systems unveiled at Australia’s premier feedlot conference – BeefEx.
Bovine Dynamics’ Feedlot Consultant Dr Melissa George told the crowd at Brisbane, Queensland that animals with permanent shelter and bedding also had fewer dags at day 50 of the trial and the least amount of dags at day 100.

“(Dags) are a major challenge for our industry and washing cattle is extremely stressful, and it actually costs producers a significant amount of money to go to the abattoirs and be washed or if you wash them at home,” she said.

Cattle under the shed drank 5 litres/head/day less during summer than those in outside pens.

Dr George also explained how cattle in the shed, with no bedding had the highest morbidity level at 4.06 per cent, compared with 2.26 per cent for the outside cattle and 2.43 per cent for those with bedding and shelter.

She attributed some of the differences in morbidity to digestive upsets as a result of taking cattle that had been on feed for 180 days, off feed for a few hours and moving them into a shed, but stressed the biggest factor was musculoskeletal morbidity.

“And we know in this system, 280 days on feed, the bedding is beneficial to musculoskeletal health,”
“That doesn’t mean it is going to be beneficial in 70-day Braham, you know. It is really dependent. “

There were also much higher “removals” for the pens with shelter but without bedding.

These were the new findings from research conducted at Rangers Valley feedlot in northern NSW.

In June, data from the trial – including that the partially-covered and bedded group had a 6.3 kg hot standard carcase weight advantage over the outdoor, bedded pens and were 4.2kg HSCW more than the partially-covered group without bedding – was shared as part of an Australian Lot Feeders’ Association webinar.

The webinar was also told that the cattle in pens with partially covered housing and bedding had an increase of 0.45kg of dry matter feed intake per head per day compared to the cattle outside with bedding, as well as a higher average daily gain at 0.09kg/animal/day.

Animals with access to shelter and bedding also recorded an exit weight of up to 11.1kg more than the other trial groups.

The Rangers Valley trial included a total of 5178 steers in bedded and earthen pens partially covered by a Ridgeback® and compared them with uncovered, bedded pens.

The partially covered pens were stocked at a density of 7.5 metres squared per head, while the uncovered pen was 15 metres squared per head.

Steers were randomly selected for the three groups and the trial was conducted across summer and winter.

Rangers Valley is traditionally a high-rainfall area – averaging 850mm a year.

Summer is generally the highest rainfall period, and pen floors remain comfortable thanks to the shade. However, the winter can be challenging, with about 50mm a month, continuing to cause challenges and saturation.

But Dr George said that would not be the case for all feedlots.

Dr George also said shade is crucial for cattle to self-regulate their body temperature and reduce heat stress.

Rangers Valley believe that cattle deserve to choose if they spend time inside or outside and Dr George said this has proven benefits.

“There’s been a great review of lots of papers and it has shown that we know that by allowing cattle, and animals in general, to have a choice, that we can improve their animal welfare and their performance,” she said.

The trial also found that pens with bedding had an increased carbon to nitrogen ratio and higher moisture content.