Filling out show heifer

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Farmboy6180

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Hello. We are new to show cattle world. I'm looking to fill out our 400 pds heifer in the loin area.  She is on purina fitters edge,Champion drive,power fuel, fitter 35 and depth charge.  Thanks in advance.
 

vc

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She's still a baby, feed her and she will grow, I would not get to carried away at this stage of the game. Once you add up all the supplements do you know the protein and fat content of her diet, that is a lot of supplements. Is she a market heifer or breeding?
 

vc

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I would keep her eating the fitters edge, feed 3 percent of her body weight or roughly 12 pounds if she is weighing 400 and free choice hay at this time in her development. Feed and time will help her get where she needs to be.
Save those supplements for later, if I gave her anything it may be a little of the depth charge and about a 1/2 pound of stabilized rice bran per feeding. If you picked out a good heifer feed and time is all your going to need for a while.

Not knowing how much she is eating now if she is eating less than 12 pounds a day, work her up to it over a few days to weeks, if she was eating 8 pounds I would add about a 1/2 a feeding once she is cleaning it up and not showing signs of it upsetting her digestive system, add a 1/2 pound again, doing this until she is up to the 12 pounds, then adjust the feed as she gains weight to stay at the 3%.

Hope that helps
 

Farmboy6180

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Awesome thank you for the help. Heading now to get the rice bran.  Honestly we keep the heifer on full feed. We give her 5 scoops per feeding of fitters edge with the supplements mixed in . That's twice a day and she usually has a little left each tine I fill the feeder.
 

shortyjock89

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How big are your scoops bud? I like crankin on babies as much as anyone but you don't need her getting burnt out before she really gets started.
 

Farmboy6180

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Hello. I'm not exactly sure on size it's a typical plastic scoop you buy at feedmill. When I put 5 scoops in a 5 gallon bucket it's a little less than half full. Thanks for the help. I'm really new to show side of cattle.  So any advice is helpful. I've been reading about melotonin on helping calm. What's your thought and when and how should you administor.
 

vc

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It would help to get a scale so you can weigh your feed, a fish scale will work. You really need to know how much your feeding her, that way you know if she is on track. A bath room scale will work to at least figure out what your feeding right now. Weigh the bucket trite down its weight add the 5 scoops and weigh that. Take the total subtract the weight of the bucket  to see how much she is getting each feeding. Adjust it from there, she needs to be getting around 12 lbs a day if she weighs 400. All the good hay she wants as well.
 

Farmboy6180

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Good morning I'm gonna weigh the feed this afternoon like you mentioned and I'll get back with you. Yes she is on full hay also. Do you recommend any salt to mix in feed? She has spunky to her when we walk her at first.  What's your thoughts on melotonin and dosage?  Thanks once again.
 

vc

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If she is just spunky, then working with her every day and getting her into a routine is what she needs, it does not sound like melatonin is needed. Calves are that way, it just takes time to get them used to everything that goes on. Your feed should have all the minerals she needs, check the label.
 

j3cattleco

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It has been said previously but you don't need all those supplements right now.  In fact the way you are feeding them could actually hurt her in her development.  All 3 of the Power Fuel, Champion Drive and Fitter 35 target different areas of the body and actually work against what your trying to do right now.  You would never feed more than 1 of them at a time to achieve desired results.  We are on the Purina team and would be more than willing to help but PLEASE pull them out till she gets older.

Joshua
 

vc

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I would PM J3 cattle on the supplements and find out what they recommend.
You have to remember raising a steer or a hiefer is more like a marathon than a sprint, pace yourself. Things take time, unlike like a hog where they can literally change overnight, calves take time to develop.
Supplements are not a magic cure, they just help you reach the animals potential.
 

Farmboy6180

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Hello. I weighed the feed the heifer is eating and she's getting around 22 pounds a day. Should I meter to 12 pounds a day?
 

vc

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I would cut her back, if she weighs 400 pound there is a good chance you will burn her up at this pace. The other thing, they can digest only so much, your just wasting money, half that feed is just passing through.
 

CAB

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Something has to be off here. Either the heifer is much bigger than 4oolbs or the feed weight is off B/C I don't think a 400lb calf can / will eat over 5 1/2% of their body weight.
 

MJB

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A half of a 5 gallon bucket of Fitters at our house only weighs about 12 pounds.
 

RyanChandler

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CAB said:
Something has to be off here. Either the heifer is much bigger than 4oolbs or the feed weight is off B/C I don't think a 400lb calf can / will eat over 5 1/2% of their body weight.

Something is definitely off
 

vc

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How old is she and how is she bred? You said she is getting a little less than a half of a 5 gallon bucket twice a day, so the 22 pounds sounds right as far as what she is eating. If she is she is between 4 and 5 hundred I would cut her back to about 15 pounds for her own good. She will either get sick from over eating our get so fat she wont be any good for breeding or market. she can fill up on hay if she is still hungry. Have you wormed her yet?
 
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