But proper design of your feedlot can alleviate some of the mess. SDSU Extension Ag Engineer Steve Pohl says one of the first steps in reducing mud in your feedlot is to prevent water from entering it. You want to make sure you divert fresh water away from your feedlot. There is no sense in having clean water coming from shelter belts and run through feedlot. You need to divert with a ditch diversion or dike and move fresh water away.
Mounds are also important in feedlots.
They provide dry areas for cattle to rest during periods of wet weather. Normally what we try to allow for is 25 square feet of space per head per dry resting area. Mud not only creates problems for the producer, but it also puts stress on cattle by decreasing productivity. What happens when lots get muddy is cattle reduce their food intake. For example four to eight inches of mud will reduce up to 15 percent.