.PatAndre

gallery

This feedlot of which only a small part is can be seen here, can hold 45,000 head of cattle. There are around 70 major feedlots within a 100 mile radius of Dodge with a capacity to feed 1.3 million cattle. It is estimated that about 4 million head of cattle a year spend time in the regions feedlots. They are brought here from all over the United States, Canada and Mexico. They arrive weighing around 600-700 pounds. They are fed until they reach a market weight of about 1000 to 1200 pounds. One thing I didn't know is that most ranchers no longer brand cattle because the hides are now viewed as valuable (leather). Thus the use of ear tags. Anyway, the cattle industry represents about 60 per cent of Dodge Cities economic base. About 1500 trucks a day come in and out of Dodge. There are four major beef "processing" plants (a nice way of saying slaughtering) in and around Dodge. Together, they process about 20,000 head a day. One plant alone (National Beef) sends out around 30,000 boxes of beef a day. It is said that beef moves around Dodge in one of two ways: either on the hoof or in a box! Mercy!