An agricultural engineer with the University of Iowa is reminding cattle producers across the continent that cattle are currently bred larger than a few decades ago, and that means their living space needs to be able to handle this additional bulk.
Kris Kohl says the exact amount of recommended space per animal varies by the type of feed yard, but says that 30 years ago, one thousand-to-1,200 pounds was considered large, but now average beef cattle range from 1,400-1,600 pounds.
Kohl says big cattle in a bedded barn need 40-45 square feed of space per head, and on concrete, that's closer to 60 square feet per head.
He notes that stocking density can be higher in a bigger barn, but the producer would have to be diligent about keeping their barn clean, as even delaying cleaning duties by as little as 12 hours can cause mud and manure to clump and tag cattle hair.
