Managing Beef Cattle

By Kenneth Tillapaugh.

An open barn or shed that faces away from prevailing winds provides the best air circulation for cattle.

A healthy environment and good management are paramount in operating a successful and profitable beef cattle operation. One of the chief ingredients in any beef operation should be a good preventive medicine program. The profit and loss margin is greatly influenced by the frequency and degree of illness and injury in the herd or feedlot and how well or how quickly the animals recover from setbacks that occur for a variety of reasons.

Proper housing should be one of the first items addressed, whether for a cow/calf program or a feedlot operation. An open barn or shed, facing away from the direction of the prevailing winds, is much preferred to a closed building. Many diseases thrive in a warm, humid environment as found in some closed buildings. Drafts should be prevented as much as possible in open buildings.

Use of dry bedding of some type is important; pens should be cleaned frequently. Cattle should not be forced to lie in sloppy, filthy pens. Many cattlemen prefer to provide an adjoining outside exercise lot. Calves should not be forced to nurse on dams which have been lying in manure. Overcrowding in pens should be avoided. Pens with concrete floors are preferable to muddy lots.

In many feedlot operations, especially in areas of moderate temperatures, cattle are housed in open pens with no roof over them. In colder climates, a roof shelter with open sides is adequate. In warmer areas, some type of shade helps keep cattle comfortable and healthy.

In dirt feedlots, a few elevated areas or knolls allow cattle to relax in a dry situation out of mud. Dirt pushed up in a pile and packed down will also suffice. Maintaining cattle on dry surfaces helps prevent many foot problems such as foot rot.

Outdoor housing of the cow/calf herd in winter is preferred by many beef cattlemen throughout the United States and should receive serious consideration when planning a beef operation. This is an accepted practice even in the cold Northeast.

Advantages to keeping beef cattle outside year-round are many, not only for disease control but for economic reasons as well. Not only is the cost and maintenance of expensive barns avoided but also the cost and labor involved in removing manure and supplying bedding.

Select an area with a fair-sized woodlot containing an abundance of evergreen trees for protection from cold winds and snow. A few rows of evergreen trees may provide sufficient shelter and an adequate windbreak. Beef cattle prefer being outside; their heavy coat of winter hair gives ample protection from cold temperatures.

Sufficient ground area should be provided to avoid heavy concentrations of manure. If a portion of regular pasture is used, scatter the manure with a pasture harrow in spring.

Cutting Calf Diseases

A small, adjacent, well-drained grazing area used only during the calving season will aid in minimizing baby calf diseases. Again, a wooded area should be available for protection from inclement weather.

The calving pasture is best located in a place that permits the cattleman to easily and frequently observe the cattle. To repeat, keep this area idle except during the calving period.

Devise a plan for caring for outdoor cattle during periods of severe weather conditions before a crisis develops. Always assure access to water.

If a wooded lot or a sufficient number of trees are not available, a satisfactory and inexpensive board windbreak can be constructed and will protect cattle effectively from cold winds. Several building plans for windbreaks are available from agricultural research centers.

The greatest enemies of disease are fresh air and a dry environment. These two elements are present in outdoor housing situations.

Pastures and Health

Good pasture management is vital in the successful beef cattle operation. Pastures should be rotated to prevent disease and parasite buildup. Proper nutrition is critical.

Cattle should not be forced to eat stubble and dirt when grass is short. Provide some type of supplemental feed when such conditions exist. Nutritionally healthy cattle fight off many diseases.

A pasture clipping program should be practiced; tall grasses and weeds can cause severe eye irritation. Some cattlemen believe this type of eye irritation can help cause Pink eye. The stubble of mature weeds and grasses can injure feet and lead to foot infections.

Carry out effective fly control; various methods work better in different geographical locations. Flies seem fewer in number in shady areas near flowing fresh water, and a shaded area near a creek is a cool and comfortable resting spot.

A shady area in the pasture will relieve discomfort caused by the hot summer sun. A few trees on a hillside where a breeze often is present provide comfort in a relaxed atmosphere on warm days.

Pastures should be gone over with a pasture harrow at least in the fall or spring to scatter clumps of manure. This disturbs the habitat enjoyed by flies and other parasites as well as breaking up clumps of manure which smother grasses. Of course, considerable fertilizer value can be gained when these clumps are broken up.

Hilly fields can be well utilized as pasture, and provide an area of higher elevation during wet periods.