Cattle Facilities - Articles

4 things to add to your spring checklist

A solid spring prep checklist should include preparing for calving season, if it hasn’t already begun, evaluating pastures, checking equipment and facilities, and ensuring your treatment plans for spring processing are in place.

March 11, 2024

Kaydence Michalsky

As muddy spring weather approaches, it is more important than ever to make sure your ranch is prepared. Spring is a season of growth and renewal, and on a cattle ranch, it marks the beginning of another busy season filled with newborn calves, preparing the fields and fixing fences to prepare for cattle to go to pasture.

Evaluating cattle-handling facilities: Steps to prevent problems during processing

Producers can create a more efficient and less stressful work environment for both cattle and handlers by taking the time to evaluate and prepare their facilities before processing.

February 9, 2024

Olivia Sip

When running cattle through chutes and corrals for vaccination and loadouts, it is important to make sure facilities and systems are working properly to avoid injury and unnecessary stress for the cattle and their handlers.

Beefing up lackluster cattle-handling facilities as winter threatens

At times, circumstances can come together to hinder winter corral, fence and handling facility preparations. In these cases, a few top priorities and unique equipment options might steer these negatives in a positive direction.

November 15, 2023

Bruce Derksen

It’s surprising how quickly winter can creep up on cattle producers each year. Many times, it appears in force, while cattle-handling equipment, pens, alleys and related infrastructure remain either in a state of disrepair or only partially complete.

Building winter shelters and utilizing natural windbreaks

With tough weather on its way for much of the country, available shelter – either natural or man-made – is important for maintaining cattle’s health and efficiency.

November 13, 2023

John O'Meara

In winter, wind can be the most serious threat to the health and comfort of cattle. Although snowstorms often come to mind first when preparing for winter, being prepared to protect cattle from wind should be the priority as temperatures drop and days shorten.

‘Fringe players’ cast a long shadow for good in the beef industry

“It takes a village,” as they say, and that applies to the beef industry’s success, which is due to entities both large and small, on stage and behind the scenes.

September 29, 2023

Bruce Derksen

While cow-calf operations, feedlots and packing plants grab the most press and media coverage, the North American beef industry performs well largely because of consistent value-based contributions from those in unheralded sectors.

Design and management is key with monoslope barns

Design elements including ventilation and planned pen density, along with good management practices, make monoslope barns a good option for beef operations.

May 9, 2023

Beth Doran and Kris Kohl

Monoslope barns are common in the Upper Midwest and particularly in northwestern Iowa. Initially, they were built to control manure runoff and comply with new environmental regulations.

4 steps to safer winter cattle handling

Winter can be a tough season to navigate, but planning ahead, preparing cattle and facilities, providing the right nutrition and taking safety precautions can make it easier.

November 29, 2022

Liane Carter

Following these four steps for safer winter cattle handling can help take the sting out of winter weather.

Hospital pen use, design and management in colder climates

The use of designated hospital pens has decreased over the years. But for beef producers using them, their design, positioning and management should remain a priority. The future productivity of sick and compromised cattle hinges on these factors.

November 4, 2022

Bruce Derksen

Cattle producers use a variety of tactics when handling acute or chronically sick animals in cold winter weather. Some pull them for treatment before placing them in a series of designated hospital pens, while others prefer to return almost all to their home pens.

4 ways to optimize efficiency on feedlots

Consistently reevaluating equipment, feed systems, and cattle condition and stress levels is key to maintaining efficiency on a feedlot.

September 29, 2022

Janelle Hulme and Morgyn Isaac

As the population continues to grow, the demands of consumers and the workload on ranchers and feedlot operations also increase. It is critical now, more than ever, to save time and streamline expenses to keep your operation as efficient as possible.