Feedlot School is back for 2026
Every January – during the coldest part of the year – the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center provides a Feedlot School for cattle producers. Cattle Feeding, as either backgrounding, stocker, or finishing, is a value-added business. The goal is to take a weaned calf and grow it to a fat animal ready for harvest - profitably.
Managing care and feeding of cattle to produce delicious beef is the goal of Feedlot School.
It’s about making profit through cost effective feeding and management. One of the tips provided during feedlot school is within feed bunk management. Cattle are creatures of habit. They like to fed at the same time every day and that can boost feed efficiency.
Topics covered in Feedlot school are:
- Facility design and equipment
- Budgets for different cattle feeding scenarios
- Cattle requirements and feeding
- Beef Quality Assurance
- Implants
- Cattle financing
- Feed additives
- Ration formulation
- Feed nutrient analysis and feed testing
- Feedlot diseases and treatments
- Facility management
- Bunk reading and feed delivery
- Manure and nutrient management
- Livestock market outlook
- Price protection with Hedging and LRP
- Alternative market programs
- Carcass quality and marketing on the grid
Instructors include faculty from NDSU Animal Sciences Department; NDSU Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics; Carrington, North Central, and Central Grasslands Research Extension Centers; North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, and other experts with extensive experience related to Northern Plains feedlots. Read more about the NDSU Feedlot School at https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/events/ndsu-feedlot-school-2026 .
The registration fee is $225 per person. All meals are included with the registration. The deadline to register is Jan. 5. Register on line at www.tinyurl.com/payCREC. Participants must make their own lodging arrangements.
Karl Hoppe, Ph. D.
Karl.Hoppe@ndsu.edu
Extension Livestock Systems Specialist
