Category Archives: Feedlot

Ask a Farmer: Are feedlot cattle fed antibiotics and hormones?


An example of a cattle feed supplement providing necessary minerals

Due to a large amount of criticism and misrepresentation of the facts, many people have expressed mixed ideas about what occurs in beef production. I have spent a large portion of my life getting well acquainted with all stages of beef cattle production and have a few thoughts and opinions to share.

Recently, I have started a series of posts describing my experience with feedlot cattle and am addressing your concerns about feedlot cattle, what they eat, if feeding corn harms them, and how feedlots impact the environment.

Today, I will address more about what these cattle are fed and how they are handled, using my experience as a guide.

Are feedlot cattle given feed additives?

We’ve been studying cattle diseases for quite some time and still have a lot to learn

Nutrients are often added to the feedlot cattle ration in micro amounts to provide a balanced diet- often referred to as feed additives. These additives often include vitamins and minerals required to balance the animal’s diet.

Other feed additives are used to enhance growth and promote health. The growth enhancers act at the cellular level to promote efficiency by partitioning energy to muscle tissue growth rather than deposition of fat. The health promoters work by improving efficiency of rumen microbes that digest the feeds and promote a healthy digestive tract. These are not similar to antibiotics used in human populations and do not necessarily act as materials working on the immune system.

These additives are used to make more efficient use of energy from feeds and are completely metabolized in the animal’s digestive tract, leaving no residues in the meat products. If residues were found, the product would not be allowed in the food system.

How often are cattle given antibiotics in a feedlot?

Cattle are treated for sickness no matter the stage of production or type of farm – conventional, organic, or natural. Cattle in feedlots are looked after on a daily basis. Each and every day someone rides through the pens and looks at each animal individually. Animals that show signs of sickness (usually respiratory) were brought to the veterinary hospital where a rectal temperature was taken. If the animal had a high temperature or showed significant signs of illness, they were given antibiotics as prescribed by the veterinarians protocols.

Medicated feed in the bunk for cattle that were having health problems

Sometimes entire groups of animals are given a treatment with antibiotics or other medicines. When cattle entering the feedlot are known to be stressed, have weakened immune systems, come from a mixed background like an auction barn, or other factors that may cause them to become ill, they are considered high-risk. These cattle would be handled delicately when arriving at the feedlot. They would transition to higher-energy feeds slower and receive more forage. If 10% or more of the cattle became sick within a week, they were considered for treatment for the entire group. This often heads off any major sickness, and actually reduces the amount of sickness and antibiotics that must be given later on.

Janeal Yancey, meat scientist and mom from Arkansas, has addressed these concerns about antibiotics and residues in the meat supply. Be sure to stop by her blog and send her a message for more information on the topics.

Are feedlot cattle given hormones?

Feedlot cattle are often given a hormone implant to promote feed efficiency. These are synthetic hormones of the same chemical structure and are of minimal amounts when compared to naturally produced hormones already in the animal’s body. The implants are given in a pellet form, inserted under the skin in the ear so there is no concern for muscle tissue damage or residues. They promote efficiency on the cellular level by promoting learn muscle growth and less fat deposition.

Despite consumer concerns over the use of hormones, there is no threat to meat safety. Hormone implant use has decreased over the last few years and has become more precise in timing and utilization. Nebraska cattle feeder and foodie, discusses hormones and how they are used in her feedlot cattle on her blog.

As all of this happens, we always keep in mind that we are producing beef for families who want safe food

After listening to the concerns and question from many folks, I realize modern food production can be a scary thing. I have spent a large amount of time studying subjects like nutrition and how these products work and still have so much to learn. Discussing these subjects in detail takes a large amount of time and effort.

I am continuing to learn and do understand that there is a time and a place for everything. As we continue to learn and listen, we will also find that use of all technology is not always best, but that does not mean it should be banned. We should embrace the concept of technology and science in food production and learn how it can best be applied to every different situation.

If you have more questions about cattle feedlots, pleases leave them in the comments section below or us the Ask a Farmer tab at the top of the page.

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Ask a Farmer: Cattle Feedlots and the Environment


cattle feedlot CAFO feed millI had an interesting conversation with a young woman from a Journalism class a few weeks ago who asked to interview me about Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) in livestock production, specifically environmental concerns. A Meat Science professor had recommended me since I have spent most of my life acquainted with cattle feeding – my family took care of more than 12,000 head of cattle per year and sent most to the feedlots of Texas and Oklahoma – and I have worked for the two largest cattle feeding companies in the country.

What impact do CAFOs have on the environment?

Government has a heavy role in AFO/CAFOs for the purpose of environmental regulations. AFOs must prevent any air or water pollution, no discharge (run off) is allowed, buffer zones must be observed, and nutrient management plans must be specified. View this guide from Missouri Department of Natural Resources for more information on guidelines and classification of AFOs.

Texas cattle feedlot environment

Aerial view of a cattle feedlot where I worked in Texas

These regulations make sense because we (farmers) want to be good stewards of the land and our resources. By having guidelines as a place to start on how to manage the impact of having so many animals in one place, and it defines a level of accountability for everyone across the board. From a small, family AFO to the largest operation, we are all held accountable by the same standard when it comes to environmental impact.

Sometimes folks try to take shortcuts or slack on following these guidelines. They leave a black eye for the rest of the industry because in today’s world of internet communication and food conversations, news spreads quickly without being fact-checked and one bad apple ruins the entire bunch. Most often, these issues are addressed by regulation enforcers and the problem corrected.

How do cattle feedlots address environmental concerns?

Nutrient management is a large part of any CAFO. When there are large numbers of animals in a concentrated area, a large amount of nutrients – feed, dust, water, manure – will be present. This is the same for concentrated populations of people, but we do not realize all of the planning that takes place to manage our own waste in landfills and sewage treatment.

texas cattle feedlot dust CAFO environmentDust - Most cattle feedlots are in more arid regions of the country. This means that manure, mud, and dirt dry out quickly. This is great for the cattle as far as pen conditions and heat stress goes, but it creates an issue with dust. If you have ever been on the High Plains when high winds kick up, you will learn that dirt can become airborne from any exposed surface (pretty much everywhere). Dust issues are a concern when feedlots are near major roadways or towns. Feedlots control dust problems by regularly cleaning pens, scraping any loose mud/dirt out of the pens on a regular schedule, minimizing water collection areas, and using water sprinklers to keep loose dirt moist.

Texas cattle feedlot water CAFO environmentWater - Absolutely no water discharge ran off the premises in the feedlots where I worked. Feedlots are not built on flood-prone areas, for obvious reasons. All water is collected in a collection pond, were solids will settled and water can be used for crop irrigation on neighboring fields. A large amount of planning goes into building a feedlot. Engineers plan the slopes of all the pens, alleys, and waterways so that water will collect in one central point. There is a buffer around the feedlot making sure that there is not water that runs off during a rainstorm.

Texas cattle feedlot manure environment CAFOManure - When there are several thousand animals in a concentrated area, they produce tons of manure. This manure is cleaned from pens on a regular schedule and more often when needed. In many feedlots, pens are built with a raised mound, giving the cattle a dry place to bed down when rainstorms pass or during the messy parts of winter. Being in arid regions allows moisture to dry quickly, so any mud created usually does not last long. The manure is collected, composted, and usually sold to local farmers who apply it as organic fertilizer to their fields.

There are other environmental impacts controlled by regulations (air quality, noise, smell), but these above are the main areas where I have experience. The same goes for poultry, pork, and other livestock farms classified as CAFOs. If you want to learn more, many NRCS and USDA websites contain detailed information.

Bottom line, CAFOs are a method of livestock production that has developed because of market and supply demand. We have a growing global population and decreased amount of land available for food production. For those who cannot afford locally sourced, small-scale, niche food production larger scale food production provides viable options.

Producers of animals on a larger scale are concerned about minimizing their impact on the environment and take steps daily to achieve that. The majority of us exceed expectations determined by the government powers-that be. We work constantly to make improvements and are always a work in progress.

What questions do you have about cattle feedlots? I’m addressing your concerns in my Ask A Farmer series. Leave a comment or use this contact form.

We do care about being stewards of our environment and resources, animal welfare and proper handling. You do not have to agree. All I ask is that you respect my opinion. If you have concerns about how food is produced in CAFOs systems, take time to approach the conversation with an open mind, ask questions of someone with hands-on experience, and learn more about it.

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Ask A Farmer: What do feedlot cattle eat?


What do cattle eat in the feedlot?

I have had several conversations where folks assume that grain-finished cattle have little to no access to grass pastures. That is not the complete truth and many are surprised to learn just how short the period is that those cattle remain in the feedlot. The majority of the animal’s life is spent on pasture.

Recently I have started a new series of posts, directly answering questions I receive from readers. On the Ask A Farmer tab, there is a contact form where you can submit your questions. A few weeks ago, I shared a little about feeding corn to cattle. Turns out, corn and other cereal grains are a great source of energy in cattle diets. Yesterday I started a series focused on the concerns surrounding cattle feedlots and CAFOs. Today we’ll address a few concerns about the cattle and what they eat.

How long are cattle kept in feedlots?

Freshly received cattle at the feedlot eating wheat hay

Most beef cattle in the country are weaned around 7 months of age and will spend time in the backgrounding or stockering phase of cattle production. During this phase, the primary focus is growth of bone and muscle tissue, development of the immune system function, and cheap gains based on a diet of primarily forages. The stocker phase of cattle production utilizes mostly pasture where cattle graze grasses and other forages. It is important to introduce cattle to eating feed out of a bunk before transitioning to the final feeding phase. Many farmers will begin the transition in diet of stocker cattle by introducing grains or grain by-products.

Most cattle entering the feedlot are around 700-800 pounds or larger and near a year of age or older. When cattle enter the feedlot, they are given their vaccinations, ear-tagged to match their pen, and started on a high-forage (grasses and legumes) diet. Their diets slowly transition to 75-85% concentrates (grains, grain by-products, high-energy, low fiber feeds).

Feed mills like this one easily mix more than 1 million pounds of cattle feed daily

Cattle remain on feed for roughly 3-4 months on average and will finish around or above 1,200 pounds. Finished meaning the group of cattle has met a desired carcass composition to meet meat quality goals. Texas A&M University has a great fact sheet that describes carcass grading and Jenny Dewey shares great examples on her California Meat Locker blog.

What do feedlot cattle eat?

Here is a photo of cattle ration in a feedlot. Can you identify the different feed ingredients?

The feedlots where I have worked started their cattle rations with high-quality forage. This can be something like alfalfa or wheat hay. As the cattle increase intake, they are transitioned to a higher-energy diet. The goal of finish feeding in the feedlot is to provide a diet high in energy that is readily available for digestion.

Corn is the predominant grain used because it is a great source of starch (carbohydrates) utilized for energy. Other grains used include oats, barley, sorghum, distillers (brewers) grains, and by-products of numerous grain and fiber milling processes.  These are referred to as the concentrate portion of the ration.

Corn or wheat silage is a very common feed ration ingredient to be used. It can account for the forage and concentrate portion of the diet. Silage is the entire plant (seed and stalk), harvested in an earlier stage with higher moisture, then stored in an anaerobic environment (without oxygen) where fermentation occurs and breaks down the plant cell walls.

The grains are usually processed to make the starch (carbohydrates), protein, and other nutrients inside the kernel more readily available for digestion. The most popular method I have seen used for corn is steam flaking – the corn is steam flaked to soften the kernel the rolled flat into a flake. Other methods include grinding or dry flaking.

All of the feed ingredients are blended well and fed to cattle 2 to 3 times per day depending on operation.

Corn Silage

One of my favorite parts of working in the feedlot was to see the bunks filled with feed on a chilly morning, all the cattle lined up in a row, steam rolling off the freshly batched feed and the smell of fresh corn flakes. Always made me want to grab a bowl and spoon with a glass of milk!

Silage being packed at harvest

Next week I will share more of my thoughts on cattle feedlots including the use of feed additives, antibiotics, animal welfare, and ask the question “Is there a better option?”

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Ask A Farmer: What is a cattle feedlot?


Cattle on the trail in the feedlot

What is a factory farm? What is a CAFO? What is a feedlot? These and numerous other questions are some that I receive on a weekly basis pertaining to cattle production. I have spent most of my life becoming better acquainted with many aspects of cattle production. Over the next several posts, I hope to share some insight from my experience in one of the most intensively managed stages of cattle production.

Next to reproduction, nutrition is probably my favorite area of cattle production. Even as a kid in elementary school, I had calves in the barn lot that my dad put me in charge of feeding. My family managed a large cattle ranch with over 12,000 head of cattle on annual basis. Most of these cattle, when they left our ranch, went to the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma to be fed out and turned into the beef that is on our plates.

During college, I spent a summer working as a management intern for Cactus Feeders, which at the time was the largest cattle feeding operation in the country. Apparently, I did not get my fill of cattle feeding and went to work for the now-largest cattle feeding company in the country, JBS Five Rivers, as a cattle-receiving manager after finishing my bachelor’s degree.

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

Many folks refer to factory farms as a part of modern livestock production. For years, we in agriculture have known these as Concentrated (Confined) Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO).

The USDA, EPA, NRCS, and other government agencies have defined Animal Feeding Operations.

An operation is defined as an animal feeding operation, or AFO, if the facility confines, stables, or feeds animals for 45 days or more in a 12-month period and a ground cover of vegetation is not sustained over at least 50 percent of the confinement area.

An operation is defined as a concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO, if it meets the definition of an animal feeding operation (above) and also confines more than 1,000 animal units (1,000 animal units is equal to 2,500 swine; 100,000 broilers; 700 dairy cows; or 1,000 beef steers).

In the cattle business, these CAFOs are known as feedlots, interchangeable with feedyard. Feedlots are the final stage of production prior to slaughter with a focus on efficient growth and weight gain of the animals. This is achieved by providing a readily digestible, high-energy diet; reducing the amount of energy expended to find food, directing more toward growth, and managing the cattle to minimize stress and health problems.

Feedlot and Mill in Dalhart, Texas

When and how did cattle feedlots begin?

In the 1800s, grain farmers were looking for a market for excess grains and the ability to provide year-round employment for farm workers. Farmers began feeding the grains to livestock and soon realized the increased value in grain finished beef. Urban demand for this beef continued to grow at the Civil War and farmers began expanding their efforts. As population centers began to expand and transportation became more reliable, farmers soon moved closer to the grain producing areas of the country; primarily the Mid-West.

Around the 1950s, cattle feeding began to grow and centralize in the High Plains states. The arid climate was ideal for finish feeding fat cattle, irrigation enabled farming of grain and forage crops, and relocation of slaughter houses made the region perfect for the growing business away from population centers. Today most cattle feedlots reside from West Texas, through the Oklahoma Panhandle, Western Kansas and Nebraska, and Colorado.

Present day location of cattle finished on grain feeds

Are cattle feedlots considered factory farms?

Cattle feedlots and other CAFOs are considered to be factory farms by many in the animal rights movements. These operations may not be the picturesque red-barn farm, but they are not factories. There have been many misperceptions created about feedlots, which are often referred as synonymous with corporate agriculture. Yes, the feedlots I have worked for were owned by large companies, but most feedlots are owned and operated by family farmers. These feedlots are operated by people just like me, not large corporations out for the almighty dollar.

Holstein steers in a Texas Feedlot

Those who are set on painting the image of factory farms harp on the negative and misrepresent the facts when it comes to CAFOs. Truth is, we do care about animal welfare and good stewardship of our environment and resources. Every animal receives individual, consistent care on a daily basis, even on these large farms. As the amount of land for agricultural use continues to decrease, and the global population continues to increase, these good stewardship principles become ever more so important.

Stay tuned…

Over the next few weeks, I will share my thoughts on concentrated animal feeding operations, specifically cattle feedlots. I will share some insight from my hands-on experience pertaining to animal welfare, antibiotic use, environmental impact and regulation, describe more about how cattle are treated and fed in a feedlot, and address the question “Is there a better option for beef production?”

If you have any questions about CAFOs or cattle feedlots, please leave your concerns in the comments section below or utilize the contact form in the Ask A Farmer tab at the top of the page.

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