The Mechanics of a Feedlot Veterinary Consultant

Abstract

The beef industry is the largest segment of agriculture in the U.S. The revenue from the sale of cattle in the U.S. is approximately 15 billion dollars annually. The beef industry nets more dollars than is netted from the sale of the eleven largest crops combined. It is big business and yet only 5% of the U.S. population are farmers and today American agriculture is still the number one industry-even over the steel, utilities or auto industries.

Each year our per capita consumption of beef goes up. What does all of this mean? I believe that it means that modem American agriculture is rapidly changing to meet' the demands of consumption. How is it changing to meet these demands? Feedlot sizes are increasing. Today's feedlot industry is a market-oriented agribusiness which is dynamic and demanding. The challenges are many -the rewards harder to come by. But the rewards are there for the consulting or company veterinarian. This is the challenge for you, the veterinarians knowing the problems your ultimate customer faces and the type of product or services he needs to solve those problems.