Bedding in the Feedlot
Extension specialists considers pros, cons of bedding cattle
in the feedlot during winter.
"To bed or not to bed?" With apologies to William Shakespeare, that is the question on many feedlot managers' minds as we head into the winter months. Will providing bedding result in enough extra performance to outweigh the additional expenses in both material and labor?
There is research available suggesting advantages to providing bedding during extreme winter weather conditions. In a study conducted in North Dakota at the Carrington Research Extension Center, cattle that were provided bedding gained faster [0.86 pounds (lb.) increased average daily gain (ADG)] and more efficiently than their non-bedded counterparts. These cattle also had increased carcass weights and a greater percentage reaching the USDA Choice Quality Grade. With today's feed costs and the increased value for carcasses with higher quality grades, it's not hard to make the case for providing bedding during very cold or snowy conditions.
In other locations and under more favorable conditions, the benefits to providing bedding are less clear. In a study conducted during the winter of 2005 in northeast Nebraska, bedding provided a performance boost during the first 70 days. However, by the end of the four-month trial, those advantages in gain and efficiency were largely gone.
It's also important to remember that there are costs associated with providing bedding. Additional labor will be required, not only to put the bedding out in the pen, but there will be more material to be hauled and spread when the pen is cleaned. Another consideration is the availability of straw or cornstalk bales to be used for bedding. Buying straw or cornstalk bales could be more difficult or expensive if you have not already secured the necessary supplies of bedding before the snow flies.
Depending on conditions, the ability to provide bedding to feedlot pens is certainly a valuable tool to increase cattle comfort and performance during extreme weather conditions in the Northern Plains. Cattle producers should begin making plans and preparations now if they are considering implementing a bedding program.
