Backgrounding
There are many types of backgrounding or growing systems for beef cattle. Backgrounding operations’s objectives are to grow young/lightweight cattle to prepare for summer pasture or feedlot finishing. The most common system in Wisconsin is to use high-forage diets to grow cattle from 1 – 2 lb/day through the winter.
- Preconditioning Fact Sheet (pdf)
- Preconditioning Record Sheet (pdf)
- Feeding Management for Backgrounders, North Dakota State Extension (pdf)
- Backgrounding calves in Wisconsin , when the grass is not green (pdf)
- Systems for backgrounding cattle
Stocker
Stocker operations are to prepare young/lightweight cattle for feedlot finishing and this is most commonly done on summer pasture in Wisconsin.
- Stocker Enterprise Budgets for Grass-based Systems
- Grazing Resources and Research
- Grass Clippings Newsletter
- Team Forage
- Team Forage Pasture Management and Grazing Resources
- Forage Research and Extension
- Dodge County Tested Hay Sales
UW Extension Decision Tools and Software
- UW Extension Stocker Budget (xls) 02-01-17 for use with pasture based programs
- UW Extension Feedlot Enterprise Budget (xls) 04-29-19- for use for drylot based programs
- Feedlot Yardage Calculator (xls) 04-29-19
- Annual Forage Costs Calculator (xls)
- Estimating Hay Usage Calculator (xls)
- Breakeven Calculator (xls)