Upskill your bunk callers and educate the team on the importance of feed bunk management with the new Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals series,
the latest educational initiative developed by ALFA & MLA available now on our online training platform, Feedlot TECH.
This comprehensive eLearning series is designed to help feedlot professionals have a deep understanding of the principles of bunk management, empowering them to make informed decisions that benefit both the cattle and the feedlot’s overall performance.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Bunk management is a cornerstone of successful feedlot operations. As a bunk caller, your role is critical: ensuring accurate feed allocation, minimising wastage, and promoting the health and growth of cattle.
Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals is divided into six comprehensive courses, each addressing a key aspect of feed allocation and bunk management.
Course 1: The Art of Bunk Management
As a bunk caller, your primary objective is to ensure the consistent and accurate allocation of feed to cattle in your feedlot. By mastering the art of bunk management, you can manage feed allocation, minimise wastage, and contribute to the overall success and wellbeing of the cattle in your care.
Completing this course will help you to:
Identify the bunk caller’s roles and responsibilities
Examine key success factors and core challenges
Comprehend the impacts of poor bunk management
Perform basic calculations for efficient feed allocation
Recognise daily feeding routines and other teams involved
Course 2: The bunk sheet
At the core of bunk calling is the bunk sheet. Bunk callers use this essential tool daily for feed allocation and intake monitoring. Being able to interpret the bunk sheet enables you to make informed decisions about bunk management.
This course is designed to help you:
Read and interpret data in bunk sheets
Make decisions based on bunk sheet data
Perform basic calculations for efficient feed allocation
Comprehend the importance of accurate record keeping
Course 3: Nutrition basics
For bunk callers, understanding nutrition is vital to support cattle health, growth, and feedlot performance. It's about balancing nutrients to meet the dietary needs of cattle, which requires skill in adjusting the diet and the amount fed to meet the dietary needs of cattle for optimal efficiency and growth.
Completing this course will help you to:
Comprehend the primary nutrition goals of a feedlot
Recognise the basics of how cattle digest feed
Identify the basic nutrients cattle need
Understand how cattle regulate feed intake
Examine factors that can impact feed intake
Course 4: The feeding period
As a bunk caller, managing feed intake whilst promoting the health and growth of the cattle under your care is fundamental to your role. Understanding feeding programs and adaptation to high concentrate diets enables cattle to successfully transition through feeding stages, ensuring their wellbeing and enhancing feedlot performance.
Completing this course will help you to:
Comprehend end point goals for a feedlot
Understand the process of transitioning cattle to high concentrate diets
Recognise the different feeding program stages
Identify methods to adapt cattle to feedlot diets
Course 5: Your daily feeding routine
Overseeing the daily feeding process ensures every animal’s dietary needs are met, it’s a bunk caller’s duty. By following a structured routine blending observation, communication, data collection, and a knowledge of nutritional requirements, you can support optimal growth, health and performance for the cattle at your feedlot.
This course is designed to help you:
Identify daily feeding schedules
Gather essential information when preparing to feed
Conduct bunk inspections
Determine daily feed allocations
Evaluate and modify feed allocations as required
Course 6: Putting it into practice
Success in your role depends on attention to detail, organisation, and strong communication. Understanding the factors guiding your daily decisions, maintaining consistency, and accurately allocating feed is crucial. Appreciate the importance of following feeding protocols and managing bunk practices within your control to ensure each pen receives the right amount of feed daily.
Completing this course will help you to:
Recognise factors influencing daily decisions
Identify the impacts of daily decisions
Enhance decision-making skills through practice
By completing the Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals courses, users will enhance their understanding of feeding and milling operations, improve their ability to allocate feed accurately and efficiently, reduce feed wastage and costs, and help to support cattle health, growth, and wellbeing.
Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned bunk caller looking to refine your skills, this comprehensive training will equip you with the tools and knowledge to excel.
The Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals was created as part of ALFA’s wider careers and training strategy designed to deliver a full set of eLearning courses and resources covering the fundamentals of lot feeding in Australia.
The Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals course was funded by grain-fed levies and matching federal government R&D contributions via Meat & Livestock Australia in consultation with the Australian Lot Feeders’ Association.
An initiative of ALFA, in collaboration with MLA, the Feed Allocation and Bunk Management Fundamentals eLearning series is available through the feedlot industry’s Training, Education and Careers Hub, Feedlot TECH.