B.FLT.5016 - Best Practice Manual – Feedlot Cattle Staging Facilities

Summary

This project involves the development of a best practice manual for feedlot cattle staging facilities with the focus of prevention of impacts to the environment, particularly in relation to the movement of sediment, nutrients, salts and pathogens into groundwaters or surface waters. Best-practice principles have been identified from site visits, soil sampling, literature, research, and guidance from other countries or Australian livestock industries. It also includes concepts which, although not currently applied to feedlot cattle staging facilities, could be reasonably applied in the future.

Objectives

(1) Consultation with a technical reference committee consisting of environmental scientists, agriculture engineers, state-based regulators, lot feeders, MLA and ALFA representatives on standards to ensure appropriate environmental management of feedlot staging facilities.
(2) Consultation workshop at the ALFA-MLA Vets and Nutritionist meeting to determine management considerations for feedlot staging facilities.
(3) Appropriate industry, stakeholder and regulator consultation for development of the guidelines.
(4) Review of peer-reviewed literature and other literature for development of guidelines, including a previous report that will be provided to the successful applicant.
(5) A guideline for operating feedlot cattle staging facilities in appropriate format (allowing for potential uptake into a QA program) agreed with technical reference committee that includes (but not limited to):

• development of a definition for feedlot cattle staging
• development of definitions for other backgrounding systems in Australia would also be relevant for this work (to assist in defining the scope of the Guidelines for cattle staging facilities)
• planning and design
• regulatory requirements and guidance from industry programs including how such facilities interact with planning and zoning regulations including periodic drought declared provisions
• risk assessment and decision support tools
• case studies and checklists.

Best management practices:

• shade and shelter
• grazing under these systems
• supplementary feeding
• environmental care including water monitoring and soil testin groundcover
• animal health and welfare – including opportunities for preparation of cattle prior to feedlot entry – i.e. with appropriate vaccinations
• biosecurity.

Key findings

The final draft of the 'Best practice manual: Feedlot cattle staging facilities' has been prepared and will be released to industry. Soil sampling results have been collated and presented without identifying the source of the sample. Photos were obtained from site visits and the Mulloon Institute. Five case studies were prepared based on the information obtained during the site visits. Site visits and case studies included visits to family and corporate operations, large and small, and geographically diverse.

Benefits to industry

The final draft of the 'Best practice manual: Feedlot cattle staging facilities' has been prepared and will be released to industry. Soil sampling results have been collated and presented without identifying the source of the sample. Photos were obtained from site visits and the Mulloon Institute. Five case studies were prepared based on the information obtained during the site visits. Site visits and case studies included visits to family and corporate operations, large and small, and geographically diverse.

MLA action

To continue to work with Australian lot feeders to provide support on design and management of feedlot cattle staging facilities.

Future research

Further research on animal behaviour within feedlot cattle staging facilities, along with rigorous research into the environmental impacts from varied operations is required prior to the incorporation of key concepts into the National Guidelines for Beef Cattle Feedlots in Australia.