Page 17 - MWC 03-11-2021

The Midwest Cattleman · March 11, 2021 · P17
Consistency is Key to Proper Feed Bunk Management
Consistency is Key to Proper Feed Bunk Management

By Erin Laborie, University of Nebraska Extension
Proper bunk management is ry. Bunk management records the cattle handle the
the art of matching feed deliver- should include feed deliveries change in intake. Con-
ies to the amount of feed cattle and bunk scores from at least sidering it can take
need for optimal performance. the previous four days. Feed call two to three days for
Underfeeding cattle results in decisions should also be based a mistake to show up
poor gains and feed efficien- on cattle behavior/activity, stool in the system, good re-
cy, longer days on feed, and re- appearance, and weather condi- cord keeping is essen-
duced carcass quality. On the tions. If today’s feed delivery is tial to determining the
other hand, putting more feed increased by 4% – 6% DM, wait cause of cattle off feed
in front of cattle than they can three days before bumping the (Pritchard, 1993). The overall goal of feed bunk management is to maintain
handle leads to digestive upsets, feed delivery again to see how consistency within the feeding system.
crashes in intake, and wast- Photo by Troy Walz
ed feed (Pritchard et al., 2003).
Considering an improvement of
0.1 pound in feed to gain (F/G) is
worth $10 per head at the feed-
lot, proper bunk management
should not be overlooked.
The overall goal of feed bunk
management is to maintain con-
sistency within the feeding sys-
tem. This means delivering the
right diet in the right amount
at the right time. Maintaining
diet quality begins with periodic
sampling and analyses of feed-
stuffs. Feed batches should be
adjusted for changes in moisture
content of ingredients to ensure
cattle are eating the same diet
that was formulated. It is im-
portant to accurately weigh feed
and establish a uniform mix. In
regards to timing, feed should be
delivered within 15 minutes of
the same time each day (Lundy
et al., 2015). Minimizing varia-
tion in feed deliveries promotes
stable ruminal fermentation,
which ultimately improves feed
efficiency and reduces produc-
tion costs.
When reading bunks and
making feed calls, it is critical
that the bunk reader or feed
caller knows the cattle histo-

WILL HIGHER CORN
continued from page 6
feedstuff prices are increasing
which is putting pressure on feed-
er cattle prices while the expec-
tation for finished cattle prices is
supportive of higher prices. This
means that the two most import-
ant aspects of the feeder cattle
market are pulling market pric-
es in opposite directions. It is not
known at this time which one will
exert more force and win the tug
of war, but what is known is that
they will temper each other.
What is known at this time is
that the futures market and live-
stock risk protection insurance are
providing an opportunity to hedge
summer and fall cattle sales at
profitable prices. It may be worth
considering.