Reference Delivery
Beef feedlot precision TMR — Argentina
Illustrative scenario: Pampas feedlot rolling out truck-mounted weighed TMR delivery, bunk-reading protocols and a phased corn-silage → high-grain ration ladder for 25,000 head, aimed at cutting cost per kg gain and eliminating acidosis-driven pulls.
- Argentina
- Country
- Beef cattle (feedlot finishing)
- Category
- 25,000 head standing · 4 ration phases
- Scale
- 3
- Reference outcomes
Load requirements
Design loads used to size housing, utilities and equipment.
Daily feed
260 t as-fed/day peak
Ration phases
Receiving · step-up 1 · step-up 2 · finish
Grain content
35% → 78% dry-matter across ladder
Bunk read protocol
0/1/2/3 morning score, ration adjusted daily
Mixing accuracy
±2% per ingredient (truck load cells)
Water demand
1.1 M L/day at peak summer
System design choices
Why each subsystem was specified the way it was.
| Area | Choice | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing/delivery | Truck-mounted vertical mixers + GPS drop map | Correct pen gets correct ration first time; GPS eliminates cross-pen mis-drops that trigger acidosis. |
| Ingredient handling | Overhead silo battery + high-moisture corn bunker | Corn silage and high-moisture corn dominate ration DM — direct-load from bunker cuts double-handling. |
| Ration engine | Phase step-up with days-on-feed lockstep | Prescriptive step-up avoids the classic feeder-error acidosis window in days 15–25 on feed. |
| Bunk management | Daily 0–3 bunk score, ration +/− 0.25 kg | Empty-bunk (0) still cues acidosis via slug feeding — the score forces a controlled offer. |
| Additives | Ionophore + buffer package in finish phase | Standard package for high-grain finishing — lifts efficiency and stabilises rumen pH. |
Results
Representative KPIs achieved on projects of this scope.
ADG (finish)
1.55 kg/day
FCR (as-fed)
6.1:1
Days on feed
138 (was 152)
Acidosis pulls
−60%
Cost per kg gain
US$1.02 (was $1.15)
Representative outcomes
- Typical scope: 4 mixer trucks with GPS + load cells
- Typical outcome: ADG 1.42 → 1.55 kg/day (finish)
- Typical outcome: acidosis pulls −60%
Note: This case study is an anonymized reference scenario. Specific client identities, contract values and commercial terms are withheld under NDA. Figures reflect typical outcomes for projects of this scope and are not a guarantee for your project.