Feedlot Monitoring Software
About the software
This software helps monitor performance and costs for feedlot operations. No matter whether you are a custom feeder or work with a commercial feedlot, this software is designed for you. It will help you determine whether nutrient requirements are being met and the average daily gain for your cattle. You also can determine your production costs, which will help you decide what price may be paid for your cattle. As another tool, this software also includes "what if" questions regarding an animal's response to diet and environment, as well as production cost implications.
The Feedlot Monitoring Software is designed for Microsoft Windows and has been updated with the 1996 NRC requirements for beef cattle. For ordering information, click here.
Troubleshooting guide
To help our customers, we offer a free troubleshooting guide with this software. To access the troubleshooting guide, click here.
Software features
Flexibility
- You can enter as many lots as your computer's memory allows. The number is not limited by the software.
- Not all inputs are required. The producer can select areas of interest to be monitored.
- It gives you the ability to record and save the nutrient composition of your own feed.
- It allows you to record information for investors and keep their accounts current.
Performance, Income, and Cost
- Current average cattle weight
- Average daily gain
- Feed cost per pound of gain
- Total cost per pound of gain
- Current breakeven value
- Itemizes and summarizes costs and income
- Yield grade and quality grade
Summaries
- Lot closeouts
- Individual or group of lots
- Costs and income
- Feed consumption
- Health
- Marketing
Billing Invoice
- Lists feed consumption
- Itemizes charges
- Summarizes pen performance
- Allows variable degrees of ownership
Feed Inventory
- Monitors inventory additions and removals
- Allows storage charges to be set
Management Requirements of Feedlot Monitoring
- Accurate description of cattle being monitored including starting weight, gender, number, and value.
- Accurate analysis of a feed's nutrient and dry matter content.
- Accurate estimate of actual as-fed feed intake for each group of cattle during each feeding period.
Feedlot Monitoring offers many option for entering your information as well as reports on your data, for example:
- If you enter feeding period information every seven days, or
- If you enter the information each time a change occurs in the facility or in the number of animals in the monitored log, or
- If you enter the information when there is a large change in the cattle environment, the program can estimate future growth and performance. Itemized records can be easily sorted and summarized. Graphical summaries also may be developed on some of the performance and production topics.
Examples of reports
Computer requirements
- Windows-based computer with 4+ MB of RAM
- Microsoft Windows(TM) version 3.0 (or above) and DOS 5.0 (or above)
- One high-density, 3.5 in. floppy drive and 5 MB of hard drive space to load and maintain files
- Mouse
- VGA monitor (minimum)
- Printer compatible with Microsoft Windows(TM)
Ordering information
The Feedlot Monitoring Program is available to Iowa residents for $400 and to out-of-state residents for $450. To order the Feedlot Monitoring Software program, click here.
Prices are subject to change without notice. Contact Extension Distribution for educational discounts.
A troubleshooting guide is available at no cost to accompany the Feedlot Monitoring Software. Also available at no cost is the Feedlot Summary Closeout Summary Software, a ZIP file that allows you to summarize and sort closeouts generated by the Feedlot Monitoring Software.
The Iowa Beef Center will run Feedlot Monitoring records for those who do not wish to navigate the software themselves. For more information, contact Garland Dahlke at 515-294-9910.
