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Bunk Breaking Calves for Success in the Feedyard by Emily Pendergrass, Extra Dimension Marketing A smooth transition into the feedyard is crucial, after all if your calf isn’t eating, he isn’t gaining. So, stop delaying gains and start bunk breaking calves at home before you send them to the yard. “Those first few days set the tone for the entire feeding period,” said Mark Sebranek, chief operations officer for Nextgen Cattle Feeding’s Riverbend Feedyard. “When calves come in and back off feed, they get sick, they’re slow to come back. We can lose seven to 10 days of consumption, health and performance. If you have a lack of consumption or no consumption one day, that day’s performance/health is never coming back. Those first few days are huge.” Sebranek said the first
45 days in the feedyard are the most crucial from the standpoint of getting calves acclimated to the new climate, dry lots, water tanks, and feed bunks. Bunk breaking calves at home prior to sending them to the feedyard can remove one of those hurtles from the process. In fact, Sebranek says it’s the single most important part of the process. “The most important deal when calves come into the feedyard is getting them used to coming up to a bunk to eat,” Sebranek said. “So, if they’re not familiar with bunks it takes us longer to get calves to start eating and therefore bring consumption up.” Beyond gains lost, days without consumption can lead to illness and further lost profit. “If cattle don’t eat, that’s
when they get sick,” Sebranek said. “When cattle don’t come up to the bunks and back off, we have health problems. Then if you have to take them up to mass treat them, you’re talking $35 to $50 per head right there. If you’re dealing with individuals and you have a lack of consumption, performance, and everything that number is probably closer to $50 to $75. Bunk breaking calves could be that crucial.” Sebranek said the second biggest issue when acclimating calves to the feedyard is getting calves used to eating a ration. He recommends bunk breaking calves and starting them on a simple
ration 45 to 60 days before sending them to the feedyard. Additionally, implementing a vaccination program and regularly handling cattle is well worth the effort when it comes time for cattle to perform in the feedyard.
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