Breeding Question

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DLB

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Joined
Jul 8, 2008
Messages
247
I have a breeding question for you guys.  So, when do you breed your heifers?  Do you breed them when they get a certain size or a certain age?  I have heard some folks say they breed when they are about 75% of their projected full size.  Also, how do you feed them while they are pregnant?  Thank you guys for any information or insight! 
 

kfacres

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Joined
Dec 15, 2008
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3,713
Location
Industry, IL Ph #: 618-322-2582
we breed ours to calve anywhere from about 21-24 months. 

As far as feeding goes,

we give anywhere from about at most 5lb a day, to nothing but grass and hay.  depends on the time of year...  But we do feed our heifers about 5-7 lb a day for about a month and a half before calving...

We have about 300 cows, and calve probably around 70 heifers a year this way..
 

Jill

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Jan 20, 2007
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3,551
Location
Gardner, KS
We want them calving by the time they are 2.  Our show heifers are fed heavy until the end of the show season, normally sometime in Oct. and then they are cut down to around 5 pounds of 14% pelleted feed a day.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
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5,954
Location
Ada, Ohio
I think some of it depends on the breeding. We have bred some at 13 months but had others that just weren't physciall mature enough so we waited. Gave them a chance to grow a bit more. The rule of thumb is pretty much about what everyone else has said to deliver by 24 months.
Grain we cut back at the end of show season as well and leave them pretty much on free choice hay and minimal grain.
 

box6rranch

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Dec 11, 2008
Messages
604
Location
Larkspur, CO
We too feed grain until they finish showing but we do not grain regularly pregnant cows. We make sure the show cows are off grain for at least a couple of months before delivering. We've had bad experiences with monster sized calves when we grain too heavy or late before delivery.
 

red

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Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
7,850
Location
LaRue, Ohio
calving around 2 years is same for us unless born at weird time of the year & then we bred w/ all others in late winter/spring.

Red
 
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