feedlot technical services officer

Jeff House, Feedlot Techncial Services Officer, is available to provide advice and assistance to all existing feedlots, as well as anyone looking to develop a feedlot or going through the feedlot establishment process, at no cost. Please contact Jeff with any enquiries you may have on 0419 262 207 or email via the button below.

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Jeff is contracted to ALFA to deliver technical services to the lotfeeding industry. The role is jointly funded through ALFA and MLA, and has been created to deliver information, education, training and technical services to improve management practices among cattle lot feeders throughout Australia.

Handbook of best practice guidelines for the Australian feedlot industry

Developed by ALFA and MLA, the aim of the best management practice guide is to provide a concise handbook and reference document for feedlot operators and their employees to promote improved management practices in the Australian feedlot industry.

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The handbook is a tool to assist feedlot operators in identifying outcomes and key operational procedures for best practice standards in alignment with the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS). The handbook can be used to assist in the development of in-house procedures to best practice levels and to demonstrate the continual improvement of feedlot operations over time.

managing summer heat guide

This guide has been developed by ALFA to support lot feeders in not only assessing the risks associated with heatload but also support the decision-making process in relation to management practices. With the BoM predicting a la nina for the coming season, it is important to remain vigilant and ensure heatload management plans are fit for purpose.

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Clean cattle manual

The Clean cattle manual has been developed by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), in consultation with Australian Lot Feeders’ Association (ALFA), to provide up-to-date information on management of dags for small, medium and large feedlots.
The manual includes case studies which demonstrate how different management practices have been successfully implemented to further assist feedlot managers and staff to make decisions that suit their operation’s specific needs.

WINTER / WET PEN MANAGEMENT

A handy document providing links to information and tools available to improve pen management in less-than-ideal conditions.

Wet harvest; grain receival, storage & feeding 

Wet harvests can create a challenge for feedlot operations. Feedlots can often be offered grain that would normally be directed to higher quality markets (bread and noodle wheat, malt barley), but become unsuitable due to weather damage. This downgraded grain can appear attractive due to discounting. Or alternatively, the feedlot is expected to make use of weather damaged grain that is harvested from associated farms.

best practice feedlot activity checklist

A guide for feedlot owners and managers to provide feedlot enterprises with guidelines for continual improvement in feedlot activities. Use this checklist to prepare your facility for exceeding the outcomes and minimum standards required in the NFAS.

GUIDE TO USING ALTERNATIVE FEEDSTUFFS

Use this guide when considering factors and evaluating the benefits of alternative feedstuffs, particularly in times of drought.

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trespass advice 

Advice for feedlot owners, managers and employees on what to do if you find someone illegally trespassing on your property.

trespass advice cheklist

A guide for feedlot owners and managers to run through each best practice checklist to prepare your facility and manage activist intrusions. The guidelines aim to ensure your facility is proactively prepared for an immediate response in the event of an activist incursion on your property and to provide for the safety of people and the well-being of livestock on site.

CODE OF PRACTICE

The National Beef Cattle Feedlot Environmental Code of Practice (the Code of Practice) is intended to provide nationally consistent requirements under state regulation for lot feeders and administrators regarding the environmentally relevant aspects of the establishment and operation of beef cattle feedlots. The industry’s quality assurance system, the National Feedlot Accreditation Scheme (NFAS) requires all accredited feedlots to adhere to the Code of Practice along with all other relevant environmental, animal welfare and food safety legislation.

FEEDLOT GUIDELINES

The Guidelines are designed as a companion document to the National Beef Cattle Feedlot Environmental Code of Practice (the Code of Practice). The Guidelines provide ‘guidance’ on how the Code of Practice requirements regarding the establishment and operation of beef cattle feedlots may be achieved.

fit to load guide

The latest edition of the national guide includes new content to ensure best practice animal welfare when preparing, loading and delivering cattle. The guide has been developed to support livestock operators meet the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Land Transport of Livestock which are embedded in NFAS, and decide whether an animal is fit to be loaded for transport and for the entire journey.

Lumpy Skin Disease fact sheet

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly-infectious disease of cattle that does not affect humans. The disease has never been recorded in Australia, however industry must become vigilant in identifying and reporting LSD as the likelihood of an outbreak in Australia increases. This factsheet gives a comprehensive overview of how to identify and respond to LSD. 

foot and mouth Disease fact sheet

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is an acute, highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild cloven-hoofed
animals including cattle, swine, sheep and goats. FMD is a World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE)
listed disease and represents the greatest disease threat to Australia’s livestock industries and export
markets. This factsheet gives a comprehensive overview of how to identify and respond to FMD. 

aus-meat: australian beef carcase evaluation

The uniform set of carcase grading standards (AUS-MEAT ciphers) under controlled conditions, this provides a means of consistently describing meat characteristics and of classifying product prior to packaging. These characteristics include the colour of meat and fat, the amount of marbling, eye muscle area, the rib fat and the maturity of the carcase.

supplying female cattle to feedlots

A handy document to provide to your cattle supplier, so that we can all work together to ensure calves are not born in feedlots.

nfas changes 2021-

Find resources about the NFAS changes introduced in 2021 in the one place on the AUS-MEAT website, including factsheet downloads and links to webinar recordings.

Social media toolbox

If you want to have a greater impact in online conversations about our industry, here's a guide to best practice social media use.

labour shortages 

A summary of government initiatives and resources that may assist and support your feedlot business find suitable people for your Team.