Feedlot final Exam Questions with Correct Answers Rated 100%
What are Beef Quality Assurance Programs (BQA) and what is their relevance? What are some
components that would go into beef quality assurance in a feedyard? - Answers Beef quality assurance
programs are standards/practices that help contribute to the overall consistency, safety, quality of beef
produced by many different people. Some componenets of a BQA program would be animal handling,
bunk management, documentation of health treatments, etc.
Though BQA are not mandated, do many feedyards provide some type of training? - Answers Yes, some
feedlots will provide training in one or more of the aforementioned BQA practices.
Who is responsible for developing BQA guidelines? - Answers BQA guidelines are created by national
and local producer organizations with the help of producers/ individuals in the cattle industry. The
guidelines can be created for many reasons, some of them being; in order to improve product quality,
abide by government regulations(veterinary feed directive), or because of social pressures. (natural,
humane treatment, etc.)
Describe the role of the consulting nutritionist. - Answers A consulting nutritionist is hired to influence
management decisions within feedlots. Nutritionists look at ration makeup to determine what is best
suited for each feedlot. Ultimately, their goal is to increase production while decreasing costs. This can
be through the addition of production enhancing technologies, or through the adjustment of feedstuffs
incorporated in diets.
According to Dr. Turgeon, what are the 5 R's of cattle feeding, and of those 5 R's, which is the most
important? - Answers Right feed, right pen, right amount, right TIME (+/- 5 min) , right way
What is the most important metric for evaluating cattle feeding profitability? - Answers Feed cost/ kg of
BW gain - by using technologies you can reduce days on feed (feed costs are higher, but added
production makes it profitable)
Why is roughage level dictated by management capabilities within a feedyard? - Answers Roughages are
not easy to handle or mix into rations constantly. Furthermore, roughages are very high in starch.
Because of this, feeding low roughage levels in rations can result in acidosis in feedlot cattle. The only
way then to feed high levels of roughage without acidosis onset would be to monitor bunks consistently.
In order to manage and read all of those bunks you would need skilled bunk readers, and a lot of them.
Therefore, roughage level is often dictated by management capabilities.
How can feeding high energy diets to beef cattle be successfully accomplished? - Answers There are a
few ways high energy diets could be feed successfully. One, would be to use a step up ration to allow
the ruminal microbes time to adjust. Secondly, you can use ionophores to promote the correct ruminal
microbes. Both of these would result in a successful feeding.
Describe how days on feed, dressing percentage and cattle end weight have changed over the past 10
years. - Answers DOF has decreased, dressing % and end weight have increased. This is thanks to
improved management practices. Additionally, using production enhancing technologies.
What are Beef Quality Assurance Programs (BQA) and what is their relevance? What are some
components that would go into beef quality assurance in a feedyard? - Answers Beef quality assurance
programs are standards/practices that help contribute to the overall consistency, safety, quality of beef
produced by many different people. Some componenets of a BQA program would be animal handling,
bunk management, documentation of health treatments, etc.
Though BQA are not mandated, do many feedyards provide some type of training? - Answers Yes, some
feedlots will provide training in one or more of the aforementioned BQA practices.
Who is responsible for developing BQA guidelines? - Answers BQA guidelines are created by national
and local producer organizations with the help of producers/ individuals in the cattle industry. The
guidelines can be created for many reasons, some of them being; in order to improve product quality,
abide by government regulations(veterinary feed directive), or because of social pressures. (natural,
humane treatment, etc.)
Describe the role of the consulting nutritionist. - Answers A consulting nutritionist is hired to influence
management decisions within feedlots. Nutritionists look at ration makeup to determine what is best
suited for each feedlot. Ultimately, their goal is to increase production while decreasing costs. This can
be through the addition of production enhancing technologies, or through the adjustment of feedstuffs
incorporated in diets.
According to Dr. Turgeon, what are the 5 R's of cattle feeding, and of those 5 R's, which is the most
important? - Answers Right feed, right pen, right amount, right TIME (+/- 5 min) , right way
What is the most important metric for evaluating cattle feeding profitability? - Answers Feed cost/ kg of
BW gain - by using technologies you can reduce days on feed (feed costs are higher, but added
production makes it profitable)
Why is roughage level dictated by management capabilities within a feedyard? - Answers Roughages are
not easy to handle or mix into rations constantly. Furthermore, roughages are very high in starch.
Because of this, feeding low roughage levels in rations can result in acidosis in feedlot cattle. The only
way then to feed high levels of roughage without acidosis onset would be to monitor bunks consistently.
In order to manage and read all of those bunks you would need skilled bunk readers, and a lot of them.
Therefore, roughage level is often dictated by management capabilities.
How can feeding high energy diets to beef cattle be successfully accomplished? - Answers There are a
few ways high energy diets could be feed successfully. One, would be to use a step up ration to allow
the ruminal microbes time to adjust. Secondly, you can use ionophores to promote the correct ruminal
microbes. Both of these would result in a successful feeding.
Describe how days on feed, dressing percentage and cattle end weight have changed over the past 10
years. - Answers DOF has decreased, dressing % and end weight have increased. This is thanks to
improved management practices. Additionally, using production enhancing technologies.
