The cow-calf phase is generally on pasture, so little manure is concentrated in any one location. For the finishing phase, however, most beef cattle in Pennsylvania are confined, and special systems must be used to handle manure safely and adequately. This document describes such systems. If the cow-calf phase of production is also concentrated in one area, then the recommendations may be applied to that phase as well. Confinement housing systems are used for finishing beef cattle because having greater control over the environment of cattle can result in faster weight gain, greater feed efficiency, lower feed costs, and improved health.
Cattle eat from either a mechanical bunk or a fence-line bunk.
The lot area ranges from 100 to 400 square feet per head for an unpaved lot, to 75 square feet for a partially paved lot, to 30 square feet for a paved lot. The area of an unpaved lot can be reduced by using concrete sidewalks and earthen mounds. The bedded area, or manure pack, in the shed should be at least 20 square feet per head. The manure pack in an unpaved area needs to be replaced three or four times a year. Rainfall in the lot needs to be managed to avoid runoff and groundwater pollution.