CUSTOM feedlotting through winter is common across Canada, and at Kientz Farms, near Okotoks, Alberta, the Kientz family – brothers Norm, Mark and Matthew and father Al – has built a reputation for successfully backgrounding cattle.
The feedlot is just one part of the operation however, which also includes a 500-head cow herd comprising Angus, Saler and Charolais genetics and grain farming on the 970 hectare (2400 acre) aggregation.
The family also rents a further 607ha (1500 acres).
Currently holding 700 head of their own and custom-fed cattle, the Kientz Farms feedlot has a capacity of 1500 head, but was hit hard by the BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) or mad cow disease, outbreak.
“Before BSE, we had up to 1500 dry cows; we were buying cattle in fall to fill the feedlot and feeding them through to February/March to sell,” Norm Kientz said.
“We got caught with about 200 to 300 when BSE hit and the market crashed; a bunch of them calved and we kept them,” he said.
Most of the cattle that now go through the feedlot are the Kientzes’ own; they also custom feed calves for local producers through winter.
Calves, which start dropping in April, are weaned at the end of November into the feedlot and fed through to March.
“We background them to 385 to 408 kilograms (850 to 900 pounds),” Mr Kientz said.
Cattle are sold through TEAM (The Electronic Auction Market) and the Calgary Stockyards, and Mr Kientz said most ended up at feedlots in the Picture Butte, Alberta, area.
About one million head pass through the Picture Butte area feedlots each year, Mr Kientz said.
“Our cattle usually go to repeat buyers too; they are the type that packers like Cargill want, as they grade well.”
A mix of 24 Angus, black Simmental and black Salers bulls are used in the cow herd.
One bull is joined to about 30 cows, with the cows split into a mob of 350 head, and younger females in mobs of 100.
The bulls are selected on good testicles, rumps, backs and legs.
EPDs (estimated progeny differences) are used to select good growth sires out of the Calgary Bull Sale.
Birthweight is also considered, and the Kientzes try not to get anything over 45kg (100lbs) for cows and 37kg (82lbs) for heifers.
“The Angus have the growth and when used over the Simmentals are easier calving; the two best breeds we’ve found in the cold weather here are Angus and Salers,” Mr Kientz said.
“In cold snaps and blizzards the Angus calves are born on ice and are up and sucking by themselves.
“They have lots of vigour when they’re born; you need that around here or the coyotes will kill the calves.”
The 635kg to 680kg (1400 to 1500lbs) Angus females are also suitable as they have darker udders, which don’t get sunburnt by the reflection from the snow.
“The Angus cows have nice teats and bags – the exotics aren’t so good – we don’t want to be bringing in all the calves to suck.”
Cows are run on crop stubble in fall after harvest.
Chaff piles are also left in the field by wagons and utilised as a good feed source through winter, however heavy winds in Alberta this year meant most of this was blown away.
Cattle are hand fed from the end of October, depending on the crop, until June 1 to let pastures get ahead.
The Kientzes have their feed analysed each year to identify what minerals may be lacking and a custom regimen is made up for the farm.
“I think that 80 per cent of disease can be traced back to feed, so if we can address this it reduces any issues,” Mr Kientz said.
The feedlot ration consists of silage and grain, starting at 1.13kg (2.5lbs) and working its way up to 6.8kg (15lbs) by spring.
A 32pc “syrup” is also included in the ration, and lime is supplemented as the syrup is high in phosphorous.
Email a friend