Nutrition

Cattle at Seller's Feedlot are fed three times a day with hot, steamed flaked corn. Managing this operation is called bunk management. Here's how it works.

Feed Consumption Management.
Bunk Reading. The bunk reader, Rob Bolton, examines the bunks twice a day to ensure the cattle in each pen get the right amount of feed. At Seller's, we use a slick-bunk philosophy which means that the cattle clean up all the feed at least once daily. Ensuring there is no old feed may take a bit more management, but at Seller's we believe it increases efficiency in the amount of feed to gain ratio. To become a good bunk reader like Rob requires an almost obsessive attention to detail. While Rob might drive some of us a bit crazy, his unique and beneficial skill set is a bonus for the cattle and their owners/investors.

To accomplish his job, Bob communicates closely with management and the cowboys. They know how the cattle are fairing, their history, what they fed on before they arrived, and how the cattle are growing. With this knowledge, he uses a complicated, sophisticated computer system that, having analyzed the size of the cattle and consumption history, computes feed rations. The bunk reader, taking all of this information into consideration, can accept or override the computer's suggestions.

Mixing & Delivery. Another part of bunk management is the mixing and delivery of feed. At Seller's we use RotoMix mixers—the Cadillac of mixers. But no matter how good your equipment is, it's the guy who runs it that's important. Tony Nave is our head feeder. He manages how the feed is loaded, mixed and delivered and he does a great job!

Mealtime! At Seller's, breakfast for the cattle begins before sunup. Lunch comes in the late morning and dinner is in the afternoon. The cattle are fed three times a day year round. The cattle feed on a diet of hot, steamed corn. “In the winter, it's gratifying to see cattle with their noses buried in the hot meal of steamed corn—it's a beautiful sight,” comments bunk reader Rob Bolton.  

Steam Flaked Corn. The cattle feed on corn that is steamed cooked for 45 minutes before it is rolled under high pressure with large steel rollers. The combination of the cooking, heat and pressure of the rollers produces a starch molecule that is broken into shorter chains (gelarionization). The physical flattening of the kernel more easily exposes the starch to the digestive process resulting in food that is easier to digest and more efficient, converting it from energy into beef-muscle tissues.

Our flaker man, James, is one fantastic employee who is dedicated, and possessive about “his” mill. He takes care of it.

Grass hay, corn silage & alfalfa. Most cattle when they arrive are not used to the rich moist corn that will become their staple. To get them ready for their new diet, we start them on a diet they've probably known: grass, hay, corn and chopped alfalfa. The roughages we use are locally grown, and a high quality feed.
  
Wet Distillers' Grains. Byproducts of ethanol plants are distillers' grains. After the grain is distilled, the remains are placed in a centrifuge to take out the remaining alcohol. The remaining mash—distillers' grain—can be added to the steamed corn to provide a good source of natural protein. They these grains, that are high in fat , are particularly appealing to cultures concerned about BSE (mad cow disease. The cattle at Seller's feedlot are fed a vegetarian diet.

Liquid Feeds. Seller's uses a product called Purina Impact supplement. This includes a limiter that levels out the animal's consumption so they don't overeat, which can cause digestive problems.