Water balance of a prairie cattle feedlot pen

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is to define the water balance of feedlot pens in a Saskatchewan cattle feeding operation. Although the initial intention of the study was focused upon an active feedlot circumstances resulted in our year of analysis being on an recently abandoned feedlot. During the study year (Sept 2003 to Aug 2004) there was very little precipitation until May 2004. Weirs in operation for only part of the summer recorded no runoff. Winter precipitation was very low (34 mm) and there was no observed runoff from it. Runoff models, using lab and field parameters found that at the most there might have been runoff from only one event, that of 26 mm 24 hr rainfall, and this would have only occurred on a pen scraped of manure. Drainage beneath 60 cm soil depth was zero mm. Of the 339 mm of precipitation that fell during the study year, some of it was stored within the manure pack and the rest lost as evaporation.