A Huge Advantage
It is no secret that raising your stock in confinement can have many advantages over alternative methods. When cattle are raised in outdoor dirt lots, they are forced to contend with elements that can have a troubling effect on your efforts. Temperature and weather are two aspects that can wreak havoc on your stock. Heat in the summer months and cold in the winter play an integral role in the health of your animals, as well as their output. Heat stress and cold stress on your cattle affect them in many ways. This can lead to reduced intake of nutrients, reduced milk production and weight gain, increased disease susceptibility, and dehydration/hypothermia concerns. Studies have also shown that the impact of mud is also a burden. Bill Halfman with the University of Wisconsin determined that when mud reaches a foot or more in depth, it can reduce dry matter intake by 30 percent or higher. It can also result in up to a 56 percent increase in the cost of gain.
A cattle confinement system from Hanson Silo can eliminate these concerns and provide a comfortable and productive environment to raise your livestock. In a side-by-side comparison, livestock raised in a slatted confinement had much greater performance in nearly every attribute. These attributes include average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, and carcass quality. Cattle are free to make more trips to the feed bunk and save energy by avoiding having to trek through the mud. They will be less stressed enjoying dry conditions year-round, and producers will see fewer issues with biosecurity, cleanliness, and overall health and efficiency.