China-40,000 Cattle fedlot. (15,000 cattle tethered) 25,000 in pens

CHINA.

The Fucheng Feed Lot close to Beijing is typical of the cattle feedlots that are spreading throughout China.

The cattle enter the feed lot at 350 kg live weight and fed on a diet of, corn and a sugar cane like crop(peculiar to China) which is cut into 3 inch pieces and stored in large silage like pits.

Over 15,000 of the cattle are individually tethered in the same old fashioned way that was done in Europe, prior to the feedlots and of course ensures maximum growth.

The remaining 25,000 head are in covered yards of 350 cattle per yard.

The growth rate is around 2 kg per day and they are taken to a minimum weight of 600 kilos yielding a carcass of approx 350 kg.

The time in the feed lot is around 120 days and the cattle are let out for a few hours a day in open yards between the buildings.

The male animals are kept entire to enhance growth and given minerals but no growth hormones of any kind.

The main breeds are Simmental. Charolais, and Angus which are mixed with local and Japanese cattle for cross breeding.

The cattle are slaughtered in a state of the art facility less than 400 meters from the unit and are walked across the yard for slaughter, avoiding stress and loss of weight,

Next door there are two dairy feed lots carrying 5000 dairy cows and producing 100,000 tonnes of milk per year.

China is gradually switching from traditional white meat, chicken and pork to beef as the economy has improved at a momentous rate of speed in the last ten years.

All the feed for this massive feedlot is grown locally in the surrounding district.