Should you keep or sell heifers?
With rapid genetic progress, heifers remain a source of improved genetic potential for milk production. When heifer rearing costs are high relative to the value of cull cows, though, it is often more economical to keep cows and sell heifers rather than sell cows to make room for heifers in the milking string. Other points to ponder
Are my heifers heavy enough for breeding?
advertisement. advertisement. Regardless of the dairy’s methods, heifers should be ready to breed at 12 to 14 months old. Large-breed heifers, like Holsteins, should weigh 350 to 400 kilograms (770 to 880 pounds) at breeding, while smaller breeds should be between 225 and 260 kilograms (495 to 570 pounds) at breeding.
Why are fresh heifers so difficult?
a heifer is found to have difficulty calving the birth appears to be breech the heifer's condition has become weak. A vet may be required to correct a difficult calving and to prescribe and administer any veterinary drugs required to assist with calf and heifer survival during and after calving. Post difficult birth
What age is ideal to breed heifers?
You’ll know a heifer is ready to be bred when she’s started to show signs of heat. This usually occurs between 9 and 22 months of age, but even if she’s in heat earlier, you should only try to breed her after 15 months. This will ensure she's big enough and her hips are wide enough to survive the birth process.
How much grain should I feed my bred heifer?
Total intake of hay and distillers would be about 24 lb/hd/da as-fed. After calving using the same hay you would need feed 4.2 lb/hd/da (3.7 lb/hd/da dry matter and distillers 88% dry matter). Intake after calving would be 25 to 26 lb/hd/da as-fed. The lactating diet will be about 12% CP and 62% TDN.
What do you feed a bred cow?
Set cows up for success by providing them with quality cattle mineral and protein supplements. A good, year-round cattle nutrition program supports improved breeding rates. Try Purina® cattle mineral today through the Feed Greatness® Challenge.
How much should I feed my first calf heifer?
A first-calf heifer at peak lactation is going to require at least 58 percent total digestible nutrients (TDN) and 9.3 percent crude protein (CP) in her diet just to maintain what she has. If she needs to gain some weight before breeding, she will probably need at least a 65 percent TDN and 12.1 percent CP diet.
How much does a bred heifer eat?
Cows will voluntarily consume about 2 percent of their body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100 percent dry matter. Grass hays often will be 7 percent to 10 percent moisture.
What nutrients do pregnant cows need?
As mature cows move from mid to late gestation, they need a 20 percent increase in crude protein intake and 16 percent increase in total digestible nutrient intake to keep up with increasing fetal growth. This need for additional nutrients is magnified once a cow calves and must produce milk for a calf.
What minerals do pregnant cows need?
Minerals for Beef CowsMineralfor Lactating Cowsfor Pregnant CowsCalcium (%)0.450.30Phosphorus (%)0.200.20Potassium (%)0.700.60Magnesium (%)0.200.124 more rows•Jul 2, 2012
What do you feed a first heifer calf?
Supplement first-calf heifers with grains (energy) like corn, corn silage, or barley before they lose body condition. “Thin heifers don't breed back quickly, if at all,” says Bjurstrom. “If she rebreeds late, it will take several lactations to get her back on track with the rest of the herd.
How do you feed a heifer?
Heifers should be fed diets greater than 10.5MJ ME per kg DM and the appropriate protein to ensure that they meet liveweight targets. Heifer liveweight gain is the best indication of meeting nutritional requirements as well as adequate minerals and water provision.
At what age can a heifer become pregnant?
12 to 14 monthsA: Breeding should occur when the heifer reaches puberty. Puberty is a function of breed, age, and weight. Most heifers will reach puberty and be bred by 12 to 14 months of age and will be between 55% and 65% of their mature weight when they first begin to exhibit estrous cycles.
How much grain should I feed my heifer a day?
Regardless of feeding strategy, heifers should be fed energy to allow 1.75 to 2.00 pounds of average daily gain or approximately 130 kcal of metabolizable energy per pound of metabolic body weight (BW0.75).
How much grain should I feed my pregnant cow?
During the last two trimesters of pregnancy, mature cows generally consume 2 to 2.5% of their body weight on a dry-matter basis. For a 1,200 lb cow, this equates to 24 to 30 lb of hay per day on a dry-matter basis, or approximately 27 to 33 lb per day on an as-fed basis.
What is the best grain for cattle?
Corn, oats, and barley are the primary grains fed to cattle. Oats, which has a lower energy value due to its high fiber content, is considered the "safest" grain in regards to potential digestive disturbances.
What do you feed a calf for slaughter?
For finishing beef cattle prior to slaughter, most are fed a mixture of ground, shelled corn or millet. These grains are inexpensive, nutritious and add fat to the meat to make it tender.
What do you feed a nursing cow?
Most beef cows will be able to meet lactation needs with reasonable intake of grass, hay, and stored forages of good quality that will usually supply 1-1.2 Mcal/lb of metabolizable energy.
What is the best grain for cattle?
Corn, oats, and barley are the primary grains fed to cattle. Oats, which has a lower energy value due to its high fiber content, is considered the "safest" grain in regards to potential digestive disturbances.
How many bales of hay does a cow need a day?
A 1200-pound cow, ready for processing, will require 36 pounds of forage per day based on the formula used here. Thirty-six pounds of hay is close to one small square bale of hay per day, taking into consideration some waste.
How old do heifers need to be to breed?
Regardless of the dairy’s methods, heifers should be ready to breed at 12 to 14 months old. Large-breed heifers, like Holsteins, should weigh 350 to 400 kilograms (770 to 880 pounds) at breeding, while smaller breeds should be between 225 and 260 kilograms (495 to 570 pounds) at breeding. To accomplish this, aim for an overall 900-gram (2-pound) ...
How long do heifers eat slug feed?
They tend to eat all of their feed in the first few hours after delivery and may have an empty bunk for up to 20 hours a day.
How long do calves need to wean?
Calves weaned over a period of a week or less struggle to eat enough solid feed to compensate for the loss in milk, which results in a growth slump. However, by weaning less abruptly over a two-week period, calves are encouraged to eat solid feed earlier in life and thus maintain growth. advertisement.
How big should forage be for calves?
Forage particle size should be about 1 inch in length, and it must be well mixed to limit sorting. When feeding calves at this stage, it is important to feed and push food up regularly to limit sorting and encourage calves to eat several meals a day, DeVries said.
How to keep calfs growing after weaning?
The key here is to maximize that growth, particularly through feeding adequate levels of milk, while setting the calf up to maintain that growth during and after weaning. To do this, consider the method of reducing milk intake, weaning timing, feed type, water and housing management.
How old should a calf be to feed slugs?
Feeding calves from 4 to 6 months old.
When do calfs start eating solid food?
DeVries said when calves are fed adequate levels of milk (to maintain equal or greater than 2 pounds per day of growth from milk), they aren’t particularly interested in eating solid foods until they are 6 or 7 weeks old , so weaning age plays a major role in how well calves transition.
How much does a heifer weigh at breeding?
And heifer weight at breeding? The Fort Keogh research is finding that heifers from the non-restricted group can enter the breeding season at 57% of mature weight, or around 700 pounds. The heifers from restricted dams enter breeding season at 54% of mature eight, or around 650 pounds.
Do cows manage less produce offspring?
As they followed the heifer calves into adulthood, becoming part of the cowherd, they found another take-home: “So the short of the story is cows managed with less produce offspring that are probably what you might call more drought resistant or function more favorably with less,” Roberts says.
How much should a heifer weigh?
The heifers should weigh 65-70 percent of mature body weight when you begin your artificial insemination program. Specifically, British cattle should weigh at least 65 percent of mature body weight, and Brahman cross cattle should weigh at least 70 percent of mature body weight.
What is the best body condition score for a first calf heifer?
It is best to have your first-calf heifers in a body condition score of 6 at calving. At least, have them in a body condition score of 5 at calving and moving on an upward plane of nutrition as you move into the breeding season. Why is body condition so important to monitor at calving and through the breeding season?
Why do calves yo-yo on creep feed?
With creep feed, calves hit the feed bunk hard up front and then don’t come back the next day…their intake is “yo-yoing”. Because there is insufficient roughage in the creep ration, the calves experience acidosis and don’t feel like eating again until their rumen pH increases.
What is the effect of females in poor condition and/or in negative energy balance during the breeding season?
Females that are in poor condition and/or in negative energy balance (losing weight and condition) during the breeding season have longer post-partum intervals and lower pregnancy rates. Notice that growth of a female is of relatively high importance in nutrient partitioning post-calving.
When is the best time to calve forage?
Usually spring and early summer provide the best forage situation. However, fall-calving can be used successfully if high-quality, cool-season pastures (rye, oats, wheat, etc.) are available for grazing. Always set yourself up to get the most out of your greatest resource, that being your forage base.
Do heifers pick up nutritional slack?
While the dam (mother) of the heifer calf picks up much of the nutritional “slack” before weaning, nutritional management from the time of weaning through first breed up is entirely dependent on the producer’s competence as a manager.
Do heifers need forage?
Sometimes, even when forage conditions are their best, nutrient requirements of heifers may not be met with that forage base. In these cases, supplemental nutrition is critical to a timely, successful breed back. However, the supplementation strategy you use should optimize your forage use.