When selling cattle and hogs to the commercial meat industry or to private customers, the amount of each animal's weight gain from start to finish is typically the deciding factor in the amount of money the livestock producer is able to earn from each animal they raise. Because of this, any steps the livestock producer can take to improve the amount of weight gain and shorten the feeding cycle can help to make their enterprise more profitable. If you are looking for ways to improve the level of weight gain you see in your feeder hog or cattle operation, the following tips can help. 

Feed a custom mixed ration 

The first tip for improving the rate and amount of weight gain for market cattle and hogs is to feed a customized ration that includes the correct nutrients and components for maximum growth for each animal. For example, feeder calves that have been weaned must have access to fiber-rich hay or pasture grass, as well as carbs and proteins from selected grains or pelleted feeds to help them grow and develop as quickly as possible. 

By selecting a customized total mixed ration (TMR), the fiber-rich plants can be ground up and incorporated with any grains, pellets, and nutritional additives desired, such as minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Many livestock producers also choose to include molasses and fats, such as seed oils, to help make the mixture more palatable and encourage the animals to consume more. As part of creating your custom mixed feed, an animal nutrition expert will consider animal age and species, weather, health, and the producer's goals. 

Invest in automatic animal feeders

In addition to creating the correct customized feed ration, livestock producers can help to encourage maximum weight gain by investing in automatic animal feeding systems for their animals. These feeding systems make it easy for producers to consistently supply the nutritional needs of each animal without incurring waste from traditional feeders and troughs. In addition, automated animal feeding systems come in a variety of sizes that will allow livestock producers to reduce the number of times each one must be filled each week. This can make it much easier for small producers to manage without having to hire or pay for additional help. 

To learn more about the advantages of using large animal automatic feeders to maximize the rate of weight gain for your meat animals, contact a reputable agricultural equipment supplier in your area, such as eezkeeper.com.