12,000-Head Beef Expansion

SASE provided a turnkey design/build package for this feedlot expansion in North Texas. While increasing headcount was the primary goal of the project, the owner also wanted to create a state-of-the-art cattle working facility and cowboys horse barn to improve employee working conditions on the feedlot. this project was designed to meet specific parameters set forth by the owner including cattle flow, pen sizing, and integration into the existing feedlot infrastructure. Construction was started in August 2020 and completed in May 2021

What the producer had to say about working with Settje:

“At Nortex, we have used several ag-construction companies for various remodel and expansion projects and after using Settje Agri-Service on our last expansion, there will only be one choice on future projects!”

— Trice Connally Vice President, Nortex Feeders

Multi-Pen Roller Compacted Concrete Installation

Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) is a new concrete application that has been used for decades in commercial settings and is now making its way into the feedlot industry. RCC is a similar mixture to conventional concrete, except with much less water, resulting in a zero-slump concrete product. It can be transported with dump trucks of many types and is poured in piles during application. Those piles are then GPS-graded on a prepared subgrade to avoid wastage or compaction issues. Once graded to the necessary thickness, a series of roller compaction equipment is used to pack the concrete to the densest form possible. The concrete cures relatively fast, with cattle able to be placed on it within several days. Pictured above is a series of pens that were renovated for RCC. The pens were cleaned, GPS graded, compacted, and prepared for RCC application. Once ready, around 1 acre of RCC was placed per working day on this site. Within two weeks, these pens were transformed from traditional dirt surfaces to half RCC. The owner plans to use the entire pen in the summer, and short-fence the pens during the winter months to keep cattle out of the mud in the freezing conditions.

50,000 Head Beef Cattle Feedlot — 18,000 Head Dairy Development

Settej Agri-Services was contracted in 2012 for a complete design of this feedlot in Southwestern Russia.

The initial project was a 25,000 head beef feedlot, including a cattle shipping/receiving area, working and sorting facility, full containment of all manure effluent, and a nutrient management plan for utilizing all manure produced on the feedlot. Our team traveled to Russia to select the best site out of thousands of acres, and then surveyed the entire site to begin design. Completing design shortly after, the customer performed their own construction with periodic construction consultation and design verification from our engineering team on site.

Upon completion of construction for the first phase, SASE was hired in 2015 to design an additional 25,000 head of open-lot feedlot, and a new heifer development facility for dairy calves. This calf ranch included 4000 outdoor hutches on a concrete pad, and 14,000 head of capacity in completely enclosed buildings. Upon completion of the design, this project was built successfully in Russia.

For this project, our engineering team traveled to Russia a total of 5 times in three years. This was SASE’s first international project, teaching our team how to cross cultural barriers and design a beef feedlot in a completely different environment and culture.

85,000 Head Beef Cattle Feedlot Working and Processing Facility

Settje Agri-Services has completed several turnkey design-build projects at this feedlot. One turnkey project was a new cattle working and processing facility. This facility utilized two double-to-single Daniels alleys, bud box cattle flow system, radiant heaters, trench floor drains, and an electronically controlled hydraulic sort system. This facility currently withstands cattle traffic of over 500,000 animals per year through it, without any warranty claims to date. Concurrently, our team designed and built a 10,000 head expansion to the feedlot.

In addition to this, our team also served as the design-build contractor for a manure distribution pipeline system that delivers manure to 86 fields over 5 miles away from the facility. This project included in-depth feasibility and engineering calculations to ensure that enough pressure and power were applied to the pipeline through a series of risers and booster pumps.

What the producer had to say about working with Settje:

“I want to express my satisfaction with Settje Agri-Services over the last 11 years I have been at Herdco. Settje Agri-Services has exceeded our feedlot’s expectations on all fronts of our facility. Between a state-of-the-art processing and electronic sorting facility, robust manure distribution pipeline, and 10,000 head expansion, we would not hesitate to use Settje’s for any and all design-build projects in the beef cattle industry. They are on time and on budget. As well, their permitting and compliance team is great to work with and keeps our facility in compliance with all State and Federal Regulations.”

— Chad W. Matthews General Manager, Herdco Feedlot

25,000 Head Beef Cattle Feedlot

In 2015, Settje Agri-Services was contracted as the design-build firm for a 25,000 head, greenfield feedlot project near Dickens, Nebraska. This project was built entirely from scratch, starting with a piece of undeveloped pasture ground. The feedlot featured every aspect of a modern facility, including a three-vehicle shipping and receiving system area, enclosed working facility with automatic hydraulic sort gates, and remote hospital areas throughout the yard.

The pens themselves are around 2.5-3.5% slope, which optimized the excavation requirements to local topography and reduced overall construction costs. In addition to the cattle facilities, Settje Agri-Services designed and built all other structures on the project. These included a weigh scale and office, covered commodity bay and feed storage area.

Since its original construction as a beef feedlot, part of the pens have been converted into dairy heifer development pens. The feed bunks were retrofitted with headlocks to accommodate a shifting market in the area for growing dairy heifers.

What the producer had to say about working with Settje:

“In the year 2015 Settje Agri-Services & Engineering was commissioned to turn this pasture land into a modern feedlot. Settje took care of everything needed to get the feedlot into operation. They did the NDEQ permits, county zoning, and layout design, including turnkey general contractor construction services.

This facility holds 25,000 head of cattle with available expansion for another 10,000 head. This was done in a very timely and professional manner. Permits were in place when the work started on September 1, 2015. The new pens had cattle in them by October 15, 2015. Settje Agri-Services will not disappoint.”

— Kirk Olson, Olson Farms Owner & Manager

45,000 Head Beef Cattle Feedlot

This feedlot is a premier example of our capabilities on all fronts. The facility was originally a 20,000 head feedyard that required substantial re-design and construction to meet both environmental standards and a new standard of operation for Brian Kissinger. SASE has acted as the permitting and design-build contractor for the entire facility over the last ten years. These expansions include: 28,000 head space of feedlot addition, cattle receiving/shipping system, electronic sorting and working facility, and high moisture corn intake/processing facility.

The facilities on this feedlot have become a standard in the industry for all design aspects, and we take customers and industry influencers on tours through the facility on a regular basis. We acted as the design-build contractor for all previous expansions and remodels, and also serve as the feedyard’s permitting and compliance provider in all aspects.

What the producer had to say about working with Settje:

“Dean Settje and Settje Engineering have been doing work for me and my family for over 20 years. From the time I graduated college, almost 27 years ago, until today, we have more than doubled the size of our operation and Dean has been a part of it the whole way. From the design phase, to the construction, to handling of environmental control there is nobody out there any better.

Our operation has had three major expansions in the past 10 years and they have all turned out just how we wanted them. The people he has on the engineering side are very easy to work with and have a lot of different ideas to throw out that help design a layout to make things efficient to feed and move cattle in our operation. Once the design phase is done, they do a good job of getting the best bids out there from the subcontractors that do the best job for the money. They are on site to make sure the work is getting done on a timely matter and making sure the quality is up to the expectations. I will continue to use Settje Engineering for all my needs in the near future.”

— Brian Kissinger Owner & Manager, Fort Kearny

Cattle Processing and Working Facility

Our team had the opportunity to complete full design/build services for a new beef processing facility near Eustis, Nebraska. This facility was designed and built with every preference of the owner in mind, creating a one-of-a-kind building for this feedlot.

Juniata Holding Pond

Pictured above is an 11 acre, synthetic-lined holding pond near Juniata, Nebraska.

Settje Agri-Services served as the turnkey design/build firm for the project. We worked with subcontractors through all kinds of weather to finish this project into the winter.

Projects such as these are a specialty of our team’s, combining the most crucial aspects of engineering, construction, nutrient management, and environmental compliance into one package for beef producers.

Clay Center Feedlot

Pictured above is a feedlot working and processing facility and load out renovation in south-central Nebraska.

Venner Confinement Barn

Civil works ready for concrete.

Foundation floor of concrete deep pit being poured.

Deep pit walls being constructed.

Deep pit constructed and ready for slats.

Slats laid on top of the deep pit.

Steel building erected and water systems installed.

Final product, ready for cattle!

Here we have one of several turnkey design-build cattle confinement barn projects from Settje Agri-Services in recent years. We designed, engineered and constructed this confinement barn in Central Iowa, on an existing cattle feedlot operation. The facility boasts nearly 1100 head space at any given time, and a deep pit constructed for longevity and storage capacity.