By Janelle Atyeo
Today’s cattle are bred bigger than they were a few decades ago, and that means their living spaces need to be built to handle the bulk.
Big cattle need plenty of room. The exact amount of recommended space per animal varies by the type of feed yard. Kris Kohl, Iowa State University Extension agricultural engineer, gave a rundown of stocking density guidelines at a cattle stewardship seminar at the Dickinson County Fairgrounds in Spirit Lake last month.
He noted how cattle have grown.
“One thousand to 1,200 pounds was big 30 years ago,” he said. Today, average beef cattle range from 1,400 to 1,600 pounds.
Big cattle in a bedded barn need 40 to 45 square feet of space per head, he said. On concrete, it’s closer to 60 square feet, and on dirt they need even more – 250 to 400 square feet.
Kohl said stocking densities could be higher in a bedded barn, but the producer has to be diligent about keeping the barn clean. Delaying cleaning duties by even 12 hours can cause mud and manure to clump and tag to the cattle hair.
When the lot is made of a combination of earth and concrete, cattle will spend about half their time on each surface. He recommends providing 20 square feet of space per head on concrete and 120 square feet on dirt with a 30-square-foot mound.
Providing shade is another consideration that’s top-of-mind during summer months. Half the lot should be shaded and half open, with 25 square feet of shade per head, according Kohl’s guidelines. He said it’s also important to think about where food and water are placed in relation to shaded areas.
“Don’t make them cross a bad spot to get to feed and water,” he said.
When designing a cattle facility, producers also want to know how much cattle will eat and drink and how much manure they’ll produce.
Kohl said the average beef animal will eat 40 to 50 pounds per day and they need 12 inches of bunk space per head for twice-daily feeding.
He reminded producers to be aware of water and distiller’s grain with high sulfur levels. Sulfur prompts cattle to drink more. Processing more liquid is hard on their kidneys and can result in really wet pens, Kohl said.
As for manure production, he estimates 50-125 pounds per day, depending on evaporation. That adds a half an inch of waste per day in a 25-square-foot manure pit.
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