If your goal is to enhance profits through efficient beef production, then the answer to “Is bunk management really important?” is an undeniable YES! The rate and efficiency of gain – and consequently your bottom line – are directly related to how much feed a calf consistently consumes on a daily basis. Considering all other things equal, increasing daily dry matter intake by 10% can result in profits ranging from $3-12/hd. On the other hand, if intake is 10% below the animal’s capable level of consumption, profit losses can average $8-18/hd.

It is still common practice within the industry to gauge and compare overall economic and animal performance on rate of gain (average daily gain). However, even more important, is efficiency of gain (aka: feed to gain - F/G - or conversion). A 10% improvement in efficiency can mean up to $20/hd additional profit. Conversely, a 10% increase in conversion can reduce profits by up to $30/hd. Feed conversion is affected by a number of factors including genetics, weather, feed intake, and animal health. One has little control over some factors such as weather. However, through bunk management, one can influence animal health and feed consumption.

Obviously, not all health issues are caused or remedied with feeding alone. However, viral and/or bacterial infections are less common and more manageable when nutrient requirements are met through adequate and consistent feed intake. Diseases, such as bloat, founder, and acidosis, are typically associated with poor feed management in the form of inconsistent intake and overconsumption of primarily high concentrate diets.

Prior to the use of high grain diets, bunk management was not given serious management consideration. Roughage prevented overconsumption, primarily through fill, and stabilized rumen fermentation. Unfortunately, high concentrate rations meet the requirements of the animal before they are physically “full.” In other words, cattle don’t know how much to eat or when to stop. If allowed free access, cattle will start a vicious inconsistent cycle of intake caused by overconsumption, digestive upset, days off feed, etc. Lowered feed intake and digestive disease rob both average daily gain and efficiency. With today’s low roughage rations and ever-present desire for increased performance, it is the bunk manager’s job to match the amount of feed delivered to the amount of feed the cattle can actually handle.

Full Bunk Versus Clean Bunk or Restricted Feeding Management
Old schools of thought centered around keeping feed in front of cattle at all times and never allowing the bunk to become slick. This method has, however, been proven in several studies to be the least effective in terms of reducing costs and improving performance. One example study was conducted by Dr. Robbi Pritchard at two Midwestern feed yards. Study cattle were split and then delivered to each yard and fed the same diet. Feeding management, however, differed in that Lot A fed cattle to appetite (clean bunk management) and Lot B kept bunks consistently full (ad libitum). Daily feed deliveries and performance are shown in Figure1. Intake levels did not differ significantly, but those whose bunks remained full (Lot B) experienced more erratic intake and subsequent digestive upset. These two factors sabotage performance and effects are exacerbated as days on feed increase.

Figure1  “Full Bunk” (ad libitum) Versus Clean Bunk Management

	Feeding Program
	Lot A Clean Bunk	Lot B Ad Libitum
Dry Matter Intake, lb	20.24	19.73
Average Daily Gain, lb/day	3.78	2.07
Conversion, F/G	5.35	9.53

Adapted from Minnesota Cattle Feeder Report B-477

The use of full bunk feeding started to decline following several restricted feeding studies by Hicks et al. and Plegge. The primary premise of all bunk management strategies is to improve performance by eliminating clinical and subclinical metabolic disorders resulting from variable feed intake of high-grain diets. Other benefits of these systems included less wasted feed due to tossing or spoilage and improved ration consistency due to reduced cattle sorting..

When instituting clean bunk management, one needs to feed cattle exactly what they will clean up in a 24-hour period. In other words, the bunks should be slick (no carryover feed) at a specified time each day. Most of the feed yards using this technique target slick bunks just prior to the first morning feeding.

While clean bunk management is the most popular feeding style, others have adopted limit-fed or restricted/programmed feeding techniques. Limit-fed cattle are characteristically fed 20-25% less than their expected dry matter intake, while restricted/programmed levels are closer to 5-10% less. By adjusting the actual amount fed to the animal’s weight throughout the feeding period, target levels of gain and efficiency can be achieved.

Advantages/Disadvantages of Management Styles
Clean bunk management is the most popular style because long-term dry matter intakes are similar to or greater than ad libitum (full bunk) fed cattle. Gains and feed efficiencies are also significantly and consistently better. However, judgment errors in feed quantity can easily result in underfeeding or overfeeding. If the bunk reader is inexperienced and/or frequently unable to maintain consistent slick times, the positive performance benefits are negated. Weather effects, inconsistently mixed rations, or deviations in feed delivery times can also diminish performance if occurrences are frequent or not handled properly. Binge eating is also more likely because feed is almost always available.

Limit and restricted feeding styles remove human judgment errors and overfeeding because daily feed amounts are preset and constant. This style additionally offers a larger safety net for operations with inexperienced or constantly changing bunk managers, less than optimum mixing capabilities, frequently changing or variable feed ingredients, etc. Feed delivery times, however, must be consistent and feed placement must be uniform in the bunk. Sorting of the ration is unlikely, due to feed being consumed at a faster rate, and binge eating episodes are practically eliminated because excess feed is not available. When practiced correctly, cattle grow at a predictable rate and feed efficiencies are excellent.

While predictable, performance may not be maximized to the animal’s full potential with limit or restricted feeding styles. Reductions in carcass quality are also a possibility. Facility design is extremely important when limiting intakes on cattle. There must be enough bunk space for all animals to eat at once and pen fencing needs to be adequate and sturdy. Cattle will vocalize and exhibit aggression when starting the program, but this behavior typically subsides after “training.”

Getting Started
The key to any management style’s success is record keeping. Today’s producers commonly use computer-based programs for this purpose, but there is nothing wrong with using the old “pencil and paper” method. To make feed calls, a bunk sheet similar to the one in Figure 2 should be used and at least four to seven days worth of records should be referenced. When looking back at feed records, the bunk score and feed call will indicate to the feed manager whether intakes are increasing, decreasing, or holding steady.

South Dakota State University devised a four-point feed bunk scoring system (Figure 3) that works quite well in the majority of operations. Some general ‘rules of thumb’ to remember when calling feed include:

• Each bunk should be read at the same time each day

• Intakes during the transition and finishing phases should never be increased
  more than 1 lb/hd/day

• If feed is increased, wait a minimum of three days before increasing again.

Figure 2  Example Bunk Sheet
Pen Number __________________	Bunk Score Guide:		2 = 50% left 3 = 75% left
Head Count ___________________	0 = slick bunk
Month ________________________	0.5 = trace/crumbs
Days on Feed _________________	1 = 25% left		4 = Untouched

Date	Ration #	Days on Ration	Bunk Score	Feed Call LB want to feed	Actual LB fed or Delivered to Pen			Total LB Fed
					Delivery #1	Delivery #2	Delivery #3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11

 

 

Other Considerations
Ration
A fresh, palatable, and uniformly nutritious ration is key when maximizing consumption and performance. No matter what feed management style is chosen, performance will suffer if:

• Individual ration ingredients are of poor quality, stale, or moldy

• Mixing of ingredients is not thorough and consistent

• Old feed is allowed to accumulate in the bunk

• The total mixed ration is not precisely balanced for maximum performance

Establishing rejection criteria for incoming ingredients will ensure the best ration possible and control variation in both feed quality and composition. Frequently sample both ingredients and the mixed ration(s). If the feed analysis does not match the ration on paper, check ingredient variability and the soundness of mixer.

Water
If water intake is limited, feed intake will suffer significantly. If feed intake suddenly drops, the water tank should be inspected first. If irregular or low intakes are persistent, check the tank itself for either slow output or stray voltage. Water quality can also be an issue, and it is recommended that water quality be checked yearly.

Feeding Times
Research has shown that feeding two times daily can enhance gain and efficiency. Cattle eat several small meals a day and twice daily feeding assures freshness during these eating episodes. In addition, multiple feedings can dilute the effects of intermittent mixer errors or overfeeds.

Multiple feedings may not be feasible in all operations. In these instances, performance can be improved by feeding in the late afternoon versus in the morning. This improvement, however, is seasonally dependent. Cattle eat during the most comfortable periods of the day and the idea is to have the freshest feed available at those times. During the summer, the majority of consumption will appear between late evening and early morning hours. During the winter, most eating occurs in mid-morning to late afternoon hours.

The type of ration will also help determine the number of feedings needed. Rations of primarily dry grains and forages can be fed once a day with few problems. Rations containing high-moisture feeds, however, can become stale and moldy several hours after delivery, especially during warmer months. Precipitation of any kind will shorten the bunk life of any ration and feeding twice daily under these circumstances will be beneficial.

Questions
ADM Alliance Nutrition is equipped with numerous nutritionists, specialists, and feed professionals who can assist you in maximizing your production goals. Whether large or small, Alliance Nutrition professionals can assist you with all facets of your operation from ration formulation to feed and ingredient sampling to providing world-class ingredients and supplements.

Contact your local ADM Alliance Nutrition professional for more information regarding feedlot products and programs.

References available upon request.