Spring: Feedlot Resources
Thank you for getting prepared in the lead up to spring, remaining vigilant, and ensuring your operations are set up for the season ahead. ALFA encourages you to use the coming months to review your pens, refresh your heat load management plan ahead of summer, and check in with your team as conditions shift.
Stay on top of weather warnings for your area on the Bureau of Meteorology website.
This page contains a curated list of resources for lot feeders to utilise in preparation for and during the spring months. These include:
Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring
Preparing for El Niño: The role of cattle staging facilities
Pen Cleaning, Manure & Environmental Management Online Workshop
Integrated pest management for nuisance flies in cattle feedlots
Western Victoria - Australian Plague Locust situation update
Getting ahead of summer: Managing Summer Heat course and heatload tools
ALFA Shade Resource Hub
Biosecurity for the season ahead
Quarterly Feedlot Survey Results
Supporting Mental Health on Feedlot
Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2026
As pastures cure off and fuel loads build after winter rain, fire authorities turn their attention to the spring outlook. AFAC's Seasonal Bushfire Outlook is released each quarter and highlights the regions carrying an increased risk of fire heading into the warmer months.
Even where your feedlot sits outside a marked risk area, it's worth reviewing your bushfire and emergency response arrangements now, before conditions dry out further.
For more information and to stay up to date with bushfire warnings, visit the AFAC website.
Preparing for El Niño: The role of cattle staging facilities
With parts of Australia already drought affected – especially through northern NSW and southern QLD - producers have moved to destock in preparation for prolonged drier conditions and tighter feed supplies.
The BoM’s long range forecast is also suggesting that an El Niño pattern is likely to develop later this year. El Niño events are typically associated with reduced rainfall and higher temperatures, increasing the likelihood of drought across key agricultural regions.
In a drought environment, feedlot cattle staging facilities can play an important role that assists animal welfare and remove pressure off grazing land. These facilities support the receival, maintenance feeding and dispatch of cattle prior to entry into NFAS-accredited feedlots.
The Feedlot cattle staging facilities best practice manual outlines best practice design and management for both existing and new facilities, with a strong focus on getting the fundamentals right and minimising environmental impacts, particularly protecting surface and groundwater from sediment, nutrients, and salts.
Members are encouraged to access the manual here.
Pen Cleaning, Manure & Environmental Management Online Workshop
Spring is a practical window to get pens cleaned out and manure managed before summer heat and pest pressure ramp up. This online workshop, delivered by MLA over three 2-hour sessions, brings the Waste Management and Utilisation Manual to life to help improve the health and welfare of grain fed cattle.
To view a recording of the workshop, click here.
Integrated Pest Management for Nuisance Flies in Cattle Feedlots
Warmer spring temperatures mark the start of the fly season at most feedlots, and getting on top of manure and pen management early makes a real difference to fly numbers through summer. This document covers identification of common nuisance fly species and sets out practical IPM approaches for control, balancing production, welfare and the need to minimise chemical use.
Read the full Integrated pest management for nuisance flies in cattle feedlots document.
Additional resources regarding nuisance flies:
Getting Ahead of Summer: Managing Summer Heat
Kite Feedlot - Heat Load Tool
The modernised, expanded heat load tool, Kite is based on the highly respected CHLT. The new tool, Kite Feedlot, is an online weather risk management system built on Katestone’s long-standing methodology which delivers the most up-to-date weather forecasts to assess the potential risk of a heat event in Australian feedlots.
The new features include a daily toolbox report, with the critical information needed to understand the daily risk of a heat event, delivered via email. It also includes a Heat Risk Assessment Process (RAP) with updated risk factors and a comprehensive 45-year HLI Climatology for every feedlot location.
Kite Feedlot is delivered on a subscription-basis. Head to Kite Feedlot here.
Feedlot TECH Lite – Managing Summer Heat
A free, practical module developed with support from Meat & Livestock Australia, giving feedlot teams the knowledge and confidence to prepare for heat stress before it arrives. Enrol now.
mistEO - Heat Load Tool
Australian feedlot operators now have access to a cutting-edge tool for early warning of extreme weather events with the release of Climate Decision Intelligence by mistEO, with its development funded by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
While the platform is focused on heat load management right now, there are plans to incorporate data and insights to support feedlot operators to develop risk mitigation strategies to combat broader environmental, operational, occupational health and safety and financial risks impacting their farm.
Feedlot operators can sign up at: climatedecisionintelligence.com
Spring is also a good time to check that shade structures and water infrastructure are in working order, including contingencies, well before they're needed.
Integrated pest management for nuisance flies in cattle feedlots
The feedlot industry has significantly improved manure management practices over
the past decade, thereby reducing both odour and fly problems. However, flies continue to
be a seasonal problem at many feedlots.
The impact of flies on production and animal
and human health and welfare, as well as the threat of insecticide resistance and a
desire to minimise chemical use underpin the development of a more integrated approach
to fly control.
Read the full Integrated pest management for nuisance flies in cattle feedlots document.
Additional resources regarding nuisance flies:
Western Victoria - Australian Plague Locust situation update
Landholders and public land managers are encouraged to prepare for spraying in spring.
There is a moderate to high risk of significant locust hatching in the Mallee from late September.
There is a low to moderate risk of significant locust hatching in the Wimmera from early October.
Chemical spraying is most effective when undertaken 2 weeks after hatching.
Landholders, public land managers and members of the community are encouraged to look out for, and report signs of, locust sightings and activity.
Reporting improves forecasting and supports decisions about where and when management is needed.
Agriculture Victoria is the contact for locust advice and forecasting, and the website is the key source of truth.
To report locusts go to www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/reportlocusts and for more information visit www.agriculture.vic.gov.au/locusts or email plague.locusts@agriculture.vic.gov.au for any information not available online.
ALFA Shade Resource Hub
The ALFA Shade Resource Hub provides lot feeders with information and tools to understand the benefits of shade and how to plan and implement the right shade solution.
With installation lead times to consider, spring is the last practical window to get shade projects moving ahead of the heat. The hub includes a range of video and written case studies from other operators on what's worked for them.
You can also access industry research and learn about how shade can benefit your business with our Feedlot Shade Fundamentals and Research course available on Feedlot TECH.
Biosecurity for the Season Ahead
With cattle movement typically picking up through spring, it's a good time for your team to refresh biosecurity practices to reduce the risk of disease spread from people, vehicles and equipment.
Find tools and guidance via ALFA's Biosecurity Hub.
Quarterly Feedlot Survey Results
The National Accredited Feedlot Survey, coordinated by ALFA and MLA since 1990, gives lot feeders a detailed, up-to-date look at industry numbers each quarter. Keep an eye on the Quarterly Feedlot Survey Results page for the latest release and media commentary.
Supporting Mental Health on Feedlot
GrainGrowers has developed Right Now: Mental Health and Wellbeing Resources for Growers, a practical collection of short videos and tools designed to help navigate the pressures of day-to-day life on farm.
While created for grain producers, many of these challenges are shared right across agriculture, making the resources just as relevant for those working in the feedlot sector.
Take a few minutes to explore the platform and share it with your team, a simple step that could make a meaningful difference. Resources available here.
If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the ALFA team on 02 9290 3700.
