Beef Cattle Facility Requirements
Midwest Plan Service Eleventh Edition
Table 511.1 Space Requirements
|
|
Cow-Calf |
Backgrounding To 600 lbs. |
Finishing 600 lbs. - market |
|
Feedlot Space, ft2/hd |
|
|
|
|
Paved |
60-75 |
40-50 |
50-60 |
|
Unpaved (w/mounds) |
- |
150-300 |
250-500 |
|
Unpaved (w/o mounds) |
350-800 |
300-600 |
400-800 |
|
Mound, ft2/hd |
50 |
35-40 |
45-50 |
|
Paved aprons at bunk & waterers |
16-20 ft wide |
16-20 ft wide |
16-20 ft wide |
|
Open front shelter, ft2/hd |
25-30 |
15-20 |
20-25 |
|
Cold confinement barn, ft2/hd |
|
|
|
|
|
40-50 |
20-25 |
30-35 |
|
|
- |
- |
20-25 |
|
Shade, ft2/hd |
20-25 |
15-20 |
20-25 |
|
Calving pen, ft2 per pair (1 pen/12 cows) |
120 min |
- |
- |
|
Hospital pens, ft2 |
- |
40-50 |
50-60 |
|
|
- |
2-5 |
2-5 |
|
Feeders, in/hd |
|
|
|
|
|
- |
3-4 |
4-6 |
|
|
calf 14-18 cow 24-30 |
15-18 |
9-12 |
|
|
3"-5"/calf |
- |
- |
Table 511.2 Waterer space
|
Water space = 1 cup waterer or 18" of tank perimeter. |
|
|
Dry lot |
Max 25 hd/waterer space |
|
Pasture |
Max 15 hd/water space |
Estimated Daily Water Intake of Cattle
|
Cows |
Growing Cattle |
Finishing Cattle |
|||||||||||
|
Month |
Mean Temp |
Nursing Calves1 |
Bred Dry Cows & Heifers |
Bulls |
400 lb |
600 lb |
800 lb |
600 lb |
800 lb |
1000 lb |
1200 lb |
||
|
|
° F |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
GAL |
||
|
Jan. |
36 |
11.0 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
3.5 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
5.5 |
7.0 |
8.5 |
9.5 |
||
|
Feb. |
40 |
11.5 |
6.0 |
8.0 |
4.0 |
5.5 |
6.5 |
6.0 |
7.5 |
9.0 |
10.0 |
||
|
Mar. |
50 |
12.5 |
6.5 |
8.6 |
4.5 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
6.5 |
8.0 |
9.5 |
10.5 |
||
|
April |
64 |
15.5 |
8.0 |
10.5 |
5.5 |
7.0 |
8.5 |
8.0 |
9.5 |
11.0 |
12.5 |
||
|
May |
73 |
17.0 |
9.0 |
12.0 |
6.0 |
8.0 |
9.5 |
9.0 |
11.0 |
13.0 |
14.5 |
||
|
June |
78 |
17.5 |
10.0 |
13.0 |
6.5 |
8.5 |
10.0 |
9.5 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
16.0 |
||
|
July |
90 |
16.5 |
14.5 |
19.0 |
9.5 |
13.0 |
15.0 |
14.5 |
17.5 |
20.5 |
23.0 |
||
|
Aug. |
88 |
16.5 |
14.0 |
18.0 |
9.0 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
14.0 |
17.0 |
20.0 |
22.5 |
||
|
Sept. |
78 |
17.5 |
10.0 |
13.0 |
6.5 |
8.5 |
10.0 |
9.5 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
16.0 |
||
|
Oct. |
68 |
16.5 |
8.5 |
11.5 |
5.5 |
7.5 |
9.0 |
8.5 |
10.0 |
12.0 |
14.0 |
||
|
Nov. |
52 |
13.0 |
6.5 |
9.0 |
4.5 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
6.5 |
8.0 |
10.0 |
10.5 |
||
|
Dec. |
38 |
11.0 |
6.0 |
7.5 |
4.0 |
5.0 |
6.0 |
6.0 |
7.0 |
8.5 |
9.5 |
||
1
Cows nursing calves during first 3 to 4 months after parturition - peak milk production period.Table prepared by Paul Q. Guyer, University of Nebraska
Table 511.3 Floor and lot slopes
|
Handling facilities |
¼"-½"/ft |
|
Feeding lots |
|
|
|
½-¾"/ft |
|
|
1"/ft min. |
|
Mound |
|
|
|
4:1 to 5:1 |
|
|
½"/ft max. |
|
Slotted floors |
Usually flat |
|
Solid feeding floors |
¾"-1"/ft |
|
Bunk and waterer aprons |
¾"-1"/ft for the first 8-10 ft nearly flat the next 8-10 ft |
Table 511.4 Handling facilities dimensions
Use the dimensions for over 1,200# for cow-calf operation
|
To 600 lbs. |
600-1200 lbs. |
Over 1200 lbs. |
|
| Total area, sq ft/hd | 40-50 | 50-60 | 60-80 |
|
Holding area sq. ft/hd |
14 |
17 |
20 |
|
Crowding pen sq. ft/hd |
6 |
10 |
12 |
|
Working chute with vertical sides |
|||
|
18" |
22" |
26" |
|
20' |
20' |
20' |
|
Working chute with sloping sides |
|||
|
15" |
15" |
16" |
|
20" |
24" |
26" |
|
18' |
18' |
18' |
|
Working chute fence |
|||
|
45" |
50" |
50" |
|
36" |
36" |
36" |
|
Overall height (7' clear min. below cross ties to walk under) |
|||
|
55" |
60" |
60" |
|
68" |
72" |
72" |
|
Corral fence |
|||
|
60" |
60" |
60" |
|
30" |
30" |
30" |
|
Loading chute |
|||
|
26" |
26" |
26-30" |
|
12' |
12' |
12' |
|
3½ |
3½ |
3½ |
|
|||
|
15" |
||
|
28" |
||
|
40" |
||
|
48" |
||
|
100" |
||
Table 511.5 Bunk design
|
Throat height (max.) |
|
|
|
18" |
|
|
22" |
|
|
22" |
|
Bunk width (max. 60") |
|
|
both sides feeding |
|
|
|
48"-60" |
|
|
36" |
|
|
48"-60" |
|
one side feeding |
18" |
|
Bunk floor height above apron |
8" |
|
Step along bunk |
|
|
|
6"-8" |
|
|
16" |