Beef

Beef Cattle Feeding in a Deep Bedded Hoop Barn: A Preliminary Study

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Abstract

A deep bedded hoop confinement building was constructed at the ISU Armstrong Research Farm in Southwest Iowa in 2004. The building consists of three pens. Shortly after the completion of construction a preliminary study was initiated to compare performance, carcass characteristics, and bedding and labor use to that of a conventional semi-confinement system. The cattle used in this study were steer and heifer calves from the ISU McNay Research Farm. Performance and carcass measurements appeared similar comparing the two systems. However, the hoop building cattle used more bedding and appeared to have lower mud scores. Labor use may have favored the hoop building compared to the conventional system. In 2005, a three year study was initiated to compare the systems with yearling steers. Two turns of yearling cattle will be fed each year, one in summer and one in winter.

Keywords: ASL R2066

How to Cite:

Busby, W. D., Shouse, S. C., Honeyman, M. S., Loy, D. D., Harmon, J. D. & Maxwell, D. L., (2006) “Beef Cattle Feeding in a Deep Bedded Hoop Barn: A Preliminary Study”, Iowa State University Animal Industry Report 3(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ans_air-180814-429