Feed Bunk Management is Key to Efficiency and Profitability

Weather, health, performance and other concerns are enough to keep any beef producer busy, but a North Dakota State University livestock specialist says keeping an eye on the feed bunk is still an absolute necessity.

"It’s easy to get so busy that you don’t think you can take time to look at the bunk," says Chip Poland, a livestock specialist at the NDSU Dickinson Research Extension Center. "But it’s very easy to feed your operation right out of profit."

Appropriate bunk management encourages cattle to consistently consume feed at desired levels with minimal waste, Poland notes. That means producers have to deliver the specific amount of feed that a pen of animals will consume in a given amount of time. For peak performance, the feed delivery has to be consistent and acceptable to the cattle.

Poland says the goal should be to deliver, at the same time each day, the exact amount of feed that a pen of cattle will consume in 24 hours. A feeding-time record system may help track changes in feed intake and other concerns.

Feeds with objectionable flavors or that cause discomfort or digestive upset can reduce intake and performance, Poland notes. Changes in the feed make-up from feeding to feeding will also reduce performance because it can upset the balance of microbes in the rumen.

"Remember that cattle on high concentrate diets can and do overeat, which can lead to a wide variety of nutritional problems such as erratic intakes, acidosis and bloat," Poland notes. Overfeeding also can lead to reductions in feed quality because of the time it may spend in the bunk and will encourage cattle to waste feed.

Underfeeding can also cause problems. "Not feeding enough feed or delivering feed on an erratic schedules, especially with high concentrate feeds, encourages aggressive feeding behavior. As a result, the most aggressive cattle will over eat and weaker and less aggressive cattle may not get enough feed."

As animals grow and as weather conditions change, diets and the amount of feed will need to change. "A general rule is to make changes in 10 percent increments," Poland advises. "Never increase today’s delivery by more than 10 percent over what was delivered yesterday and try not to have several days of continuous increase. Give cattle time to acclimate to changes."

If there’s excessive feed left in the bunk at feeding time, use the 10 percent rule for reducing feed amounts.

Poland encourages producers to monitor feed bunks daily, but to consider conditions over the past four days when doing so. "Think about changes in the weather, the number of animals, feed processing schedules and other factors that may have an impact on what’s happening at the feed bunk. It may take that long for those factors to show up in terms of feed intake."

Poland says the feed bunk and feed yard can give valuable clues to improving management of cattle. "Look at the uniformity of feed mixing, delivery and refusals. Are there problems? Can you make improvements? The amount of fines in the bunk can indicate excessive feed processing or indicate that better mixing is needed because cattle are sorting through the feed. Are the bunks clean? Manure, spoiled feed and other waste in the bunk can reduce intake."

Look beyond the bunk for clues too, Poland says. Observe the conditions of stools for indications of digestive problems.

Finally, check the general condition of the feeding area. Too much mud, snow or ice can create problems for cattle. Make sure enough clean water is available. "That can be a particular concern in the winter," he says.

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Source: Chip Poland, (701) 483-2078, wpoland@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu