Space Requirements for Beef Cattle
| Type of Facility |
Square ft/head |
Conventional
|
| Lot surfaced with free access to shelter |
20 in barn, 30 in lot |
| Lot surfaced, no shelter |
50 |
| Dirt lot, surfaces |
10-12 ft behind feedbunk and around waterers |
| Sloping well drained, mounds |
150 lot, 25 mound (mounds are 6-8 ft high, 6 ft wide on top) |
| Nearly level, with mounds |
400 lot, 25 mound |
| Nearly level, no mounds |
1000+ |
Confinement
|
| Solid floor (bedded or cleaned approx. weekly) |
30 |
| Totally or partially slotted |
17-20 |
| Calving pen |
100: 1 pen.12 cows |
| Sick pens |
50 (enough to hold 2-5% of herd) |
|
| Feeders |
Inches Feeder/Head |
All eat at once
|
| Calves to 600 lb |
18-22 |
| 600 lb to market |
22-26 |
| Mature cows |
26-30 |
| Pre-weaning calves |
14-18 |
Feed always available
|
| Hay or silage ration |
6 inches or more (limited by bunk capacity) |
| High grain ration |
3-4 inches |
| Calf creep |
1 space/5 calves |
| |
Waterers
|
| 1 space/40 head |
Capacity: Feeder cattle, 15 gal./hd./day
Cows, 20 gal./day |
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Dimensions for Beef Cattle Corrals and Working Facitilies
|
| Holding area |
20 sq. ft./head |
Working chute
|
| Length |
20 foot or more |
| Width |
26 inches or 16 inches at bottom and 26 inches at top |
Corral and chute fence
|
| Minimum height |
50-60 inches |
| Depth of post in ground |
30 inches |
Load chute
|
| Width |
26-30 inches |
| Length |
12 feet |
| Rise |
3.5 inches/foot |
| Ramp height |
stock trailer-15 inches
pickup truck-28 inches
straight truck-40 inches
semi-truck-48 inches |
Beef Production and Management, Minish and Fox, 1982
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