Keep Them Comfortable
Making sure cattle are comfortable can provide better returns for producers. I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back right after this with some examples.Cattle that are comfortable are usually better producers and keeping them feeling that way makes cattle managers feel they have done the best they can for their charges. Russell Schaefer, owner of Mountain View Feeders in Fort Collins, Colorado tells his crew "if the cattle are not comfortable, I'm not comfortable." Terry Mader, University of Nebraska Extension beef specialist, says bedding cattle can have a big difference in cattle comfort and performance. A summary of two experiments in South Dakota and Colorado found providing about two pounds of straw per head during the winter feeding period increased gains 6.8 percent and efficiency of gain 6.6 percent. The return benefit was $11 per head after deducting the bedding cost. In a North Dakota State University Carrington Research Extension Center trial, results showed bedded steers gained right at one-half pound more per day over non-bedded steers. Twig Marston, beef expert with University of Nebraska North Research and Extension, likes minimizing wind effects to keep cattle comfortable. Natural or constructed wind breaks protect the animals and can make a big difference feed costs. I know even areas with larger sagebrush help our newborn calves. The temperature where they lay under the brush is definitely warmer and they know it. I'm Jeff Keane.
