Feedlot
A yard where beef cattle are kept in pens and fed grain-based rations before slaughter.
Also: feed yard
A feedlot holds beef cattle in pens for the last months before slaughter, feeding them rations based on grain, by-products and forage so they gain weight quickly and evenly. Most beef in the United States, and much in Australia, Canada and Argentina, is finished this way, while other systems finish cattle on grass. Feedlots range from a few hundred head to many thousands. Supporters point to efficient use of feed and land and a steady supply; critics raise concerns about animal welfare, manure, water and antibiotic use. The time an animal spends there is counted in days on feed.