Even with low grain prices, another huge corn crop in the bin and record cattle markets, feedyards are still tweaking rations to generate the highest gains as efficiently as possible. Finding and delivering the right feed formula requires continuity between yard managers, nutritionists, mill operators and other yard personnel.
While feedyards generally have a common goal of finishing cattle after they leave the ranch, small-grains pasture or backgrounding operation, their feed preparation and specific rations often differ. That’s usually true regardless of whether they’re a northern state feedyard, one in the Southern Plains, or even yards only a few miles apart, says Jason Smith, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension beef cattle specialist in Amarillo.
“Feedyards continuously work with consulting nutritionists to develop and deliver what they believe to be the optimum or best-cost rations and feeding strategies for a specific yard,” Smith says. “Yards will often try to capture additional value by feeding one ingredient instead of another. They will regularly adjust rations to account for differences in ingredient composition, availability and financial opportunity.”…