Circle A Feeders develops all their cattle under roof to protect them from environmental
stressors. The feeding facility is 2800 feet long by 120 feet wide, including the processing area it
encompasses 7.5 acres under roof. The building holds 5000 head of cattle at one time and
feeds just over 10,000 head annually.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The pens measure 100’ X 40’ and accommodate 100 head per pen. Every calf receives 40
square feet of fresh sawdust on which to comfortably bed. Cattle movement takes place down
the center ally with outside feeding lanes along every pen. A shade cloth is dropped on the
North side of the building in the winter time to prevent cold blowing wind and snow from reaching
the cattle.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Above every pen is a 18 foot fan which helps to keep the cattle cool and comfortable in the heat
and circulates the air, keeping it fresh and helping to control illness.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Circle A Feeders uses a natural, biological agent to control flies. Trichogramma wasps are mailed
in weekly and spread throughout the facility. The tiny wasp are harmless to humans and
animals, but they lay their eggs directly in fly larvae and control the fly population.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Fresh sawdust is obtained from local sawmills for bedding the cattle. At one time sawdust was
considered a waste product, but Circle A Feeders finds it an ideal material for cattle comfort, and
odor and nutrient retention.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Pens are cleaned frequently so that cattle are kept comfortable. By reducing their stress we
increase weight gains and improve efficiency.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
A telescopic loader is used to clean the pens along with a side-dump wagon located in the center
ally. Pens are cleaned down to the concrete floor underneath.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The used bedding is placed under one of three compost buildings each measuring 300’ X 94’.
These buildings help prevent any leaching of wastes and valuable nutrients.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The side-dump wagons bring the used bedding to the compost barns and dump it into rows.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The rows are allowed to compost for nearly one month under the roof of the compost buildings.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Approximately every three days the compost is turned to provide a favorable environment for the
microbial composting process.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Temperatures are monitored to ensure the compost is heating up to near 130 degrees so that
bacteria and seeds are not spread on our pastures.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
After about 30 days the compost is spread out on our pastures. While fairly low in nutrient
contents, the compost is rich in organic matter. Our carefully regulated nutrient monitoring plan
ensures soil nutrients are maintained at beneficial and safe levels.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
We have been improving feed efficiency for over 15 years, creating more efficient cattle that
produce a superb beef product using less feed. In 1998 we built a feed intake testing facility
which allowed us to measure individual feed intake on 100 head. Every animal had a specific
bunk from which to eat and we had to measure the feed in and out of the bunk daily.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Today we do the same testing with the GrowSafe feeding system allowing us to seamlessly
measure individual feed intake on 200 head simultaneously.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
EID
EID Reader
Scale
Every calf wears an electronic identification (EID) tag and each GrowSafe bunk has a built-in EID
reader. Under each bunk is a scale that takes a weight measurement every second. As a calf
eats it’s tag is read and feed lose from the bunk is allocated to the appropriate animal.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The information is sent wirelessly to a computer in the office so management can monitor
individual and group feed intake. The results go into our database to calculate genetics values
for feed intake so that we may select for more feed efficient cattle.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Our on-sire feed mill allows us to make fresh rations multiple times per day. It also allows us to
store and utilize corn and hay product grown by us and our neighbors.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Cattle are fed a diet largely consisting of corn co-products from the sugar sweetener and ethanol
industries. It is a great way to turn products from their processing into delicious and nutritious
beef.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Circle A Feeders way of feeding cattle has proven to be a very environmentally friendly, animal
friendly and neighbor friendly way of producing beef. We’ve even had white table cloth dinners
right in the middle of the feeding facility.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
The vast majority of our calves are delivered on small trailer by our family-farm suppliers.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Some of our family farm suppliers are large enough to bring a semi load, or more, at delivery.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
We sort the cattle by gender and weight upon arrival.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Cattle are weighed immediately on our certified scales.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com
Producers are paid and walk away knowing they received top of their regional market, plus
additional premiums for producing high-quality calves.
1-800-CIRCLE-A
www.circlearanch.com