Development of an in-field cattle finishing system for the tropics

Abstract

An in-field cattle finishing system that takes advantage of the year long growing season in the tropics is described. This system exploits the interrelationships of the feed production and cattle feeding components to increase the cost and energy efficiency of the system in tropical environments. The system is based on regulated feeding of mature zones of standing corn crop to cattle. The corn crop is planted at weekly intervals year round in continual rotation. When the first planting gets to the dough-dent stage of maturity, cattle are put in the cornfield within a movable cattle pen. The feeding is regulated by moving the pen a fixed distance twice a day. This system may reduce the cost of fattening an animal from 250 to 475 kg by about 26%. To test the practicality and engineering feasibility of this program, an exploratory experiment was conducted using three steers, a 6 m × 6 m movable cattle pen and 0·23 ha land area. It was observed that the trampling loss of corn ears by the cattle was minimal after the initial learning period of 2 to 3 weeks. The cattle also utilized about 50% to 80% of the leaves and 20% to 65% of the cornstalks. The uneaten stalks provided an excellent bedding material during wet periods. The animal weight gain performance was similar to that of feedlot cattle of the same age, weight and breed. No major health or disease problem was observed. The performance of the movable cattle pen was satisfactory during normal weather periods, but a more positive locomotion system is needed for wet conditions.