Cattle feedlot managers face many unique challenges, as they manage facilities and feeding programs, health problems of the cattle, safety and sanitary concerns and the efficiency of the process.
To maximize profit and sustain the health of the herd, feedlot managers need the right tools, products and knowledge to succeed.
Common Cattle Feedlot Challenges
Let’s look at three common cattle feedlot challenges that feedlot managers face as they work toward increased profitability and overall successful operations. These are just a few of the daily challenges that can make a major difference in cattle health, feed quality and ROI.
Challenge #1: How to Maintain Efficient Cattle Feedlot Operations
Managing an efficient cattle feedlot is an important challenge because efficiency equals profit. And an inefficient cattle feedlot can lead to lower productivity, errors and waste.
One significant area where efficient operations are necessary is feeding. Micro ingredients are important to the right blend of cattle feed – helping cattle grow faster and even reduce infections.
Solution for Efficient Cattle Feedlot Operations
An automatic micro-ingredient mixer for cattle allows you to add dry and wet micro ingredients in exact amounts. The Cattle Pro automatic feed system from APEC delivers ingredients as a slurry that is pumped directly to your feed mixer. This means no more time-consuming separate weighing and adding nutrients and antibiotics.
With the Cattle Pro liquid and dry micro-ingredient system, the automatic feed system weighs ingredients in a fraction of the time compared to manual weighing. This means less time and manpower dedicated to the process.
Challenge #2: How to Reduce Costs for Cattle Feed Ingredients
There are many costly aspects to cattle feeding, including leasing expensive equipment and purchasing drugs from a manufacturer. Quality control is paramount and reducing cost per head can significantly impact your profits.
Solution for Reducing Ingredient Costs
With a liquid and dry micro-ingredient system like the APEC Cattle Pro, you won’t have to purchase drugs from a drug manufacturer at premium prices. By owning the equipment, you can purchase ingredients wholesale at a much better price, without sacrificing the quality of the feed.
Many liquid and dry weighing machines for cattle come with an unspoken agreement that is a long-term ingredient supplier’s contract. Cattle Pro does not. The Cattle Pro lets you continue to purchase from any supplier, so you can shop for the best pricing.
Challenge #3: How to Ensure Safety of Cattle Feed Ingredients
Monitoring feed for proper formulation and tracking ingredients for quality assurance are two safety challenges for cattle feedlot managers.
Solution to Ensure Cattle Feed Ingredient Safety
With an automatic feed system for cattle like Cattle Pro, the risk of human error in weighing and adding micro ingredients by hand is eliminated. Cattle Pro is pre-programmed for precisely weighed nutrients and drugs. For quality assurance, the Cattle Pro can conduct barcode tracking on ingredients automatically. Cattle feedlot managers can see exactly what nutrients, antibiotics and other additives went into the feed.
With the Cattle Pro, you can have:
- Barcoded confirmation of ingredients to assure they arrived at the right location
- Lot tracking that identifies ingredient’s arrival and usage dates
- Monitoring of expiration dates through first-in, first-out usage
- Time- and date-stamped transactions that provide detailed reports of usage and production throughout the process
APEC Can Solve Your Challenges with a Micro-Ingredient Feeding System
For more information on the Cattle Pro, or any of our animal feed solutions, contact APEC today. Find out how APEC delivers Innovative Solutions … Outstanding Results.
