keeping weight on 1st calf hfrs

what is the best way to keep weight on these first calf hfrs . Currenty they are running with cows herd . maybe i should seperate them off and feed more grain .cows where getting corn silage up until a month ago .that has since ran out . now are just getting hay and mineral .maybe a lick block would help both hfrs and cows . or could feed corn with distillors . would like to see what others do .


thank you
troy

Definitely separate them.

Sell them and get some easier keeping heifers.

I would seperate them. It doesn't hurt to supplement them, they're still in the growing stage themselves.  (welcome)

coyote said:

Sell them and get some easier keeping heifers.

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Honestly, that may not be the answer that they were looking for, but that is pretty good advice!  (thumbsup)

Otherwise, separate them & feed them. 

Have they been wormed recently? Best advice is to select for eaiser keeping females, however that is not always the most economical thing to do in the short run so separate and feed would be your best option because you don't want them to calve at a low BCS because that will give you a whole line of trouble you don't want including, reduced conception rates, poor growth on calves, poor BCS in fall, and the whole sha-bang. Good Luck.

Doc said:

I would seperate them. It doesn't hurt to supplement them, they're still in the growing stage themselves.  (welcome)

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ditto

I would worm them for sure. You could put a lick tub out. That has a lot of minerals, protein and helps keep weight on ours. Also you could mix some alfalfa into their diet.

First calf heifers should always be managed separately from older cows.  They have a higher energy requirement.

Second calf heifers take a lot of extra feed - especially if they calve in the winter.  If they are milking good, their trying to raise a calf, still grow themselves, and rebreed.  If you don't feed them pretty hard, you'll get some that won't rebreed - at least not quickly.  It's always a challenge for us also.  Hasn't nothing to do with them not being "easy doing", they are just trying to do too many things at once.  Get them away from the cows.  Those cows are probably more aggressive in the feed line and cause them to lose out on their fair share as it it, let alone the fact they need more.

Chambero..  we've noticed that too..  We actually had more issues with the 2nd calvers than the 1st so now we run both 1st & 2nds together & have a much better feed plan for them.

Some cows won't get done growing until three years of age..Definitely separate the cows.

Rough em hard and let god sort them out. Just kidding it could take them an extra 20-30 days to cycle vs. older cows. Hopefully they calved a little earlier than the main herd. It gives them extra time to breed back. GOOD LUCK.

I noticed in your profile that you live here in Wisconsin.  I do nutrition work in the SW part of the state and have some thoughts you may want to think about.  We are coming off the coldest winter in years (I have heard on record).  We had the monsoon rains last June which resulted on alot of replanted corn.  You mentioned that you ran out of corn silage in January.  Was that corn silage like normal years for you?  Was the starch content adequate?  I have seen alot of corn silage this year that is not normal, the starch content low because it got planted late.  I have seen it hard to keep condition on cows this winter with the cold temp, and also the quality of feed we had this past year.  Also watch the quality of the hay you are feeding, again the rain gave us aggrovated issues with first crop and also mycotoxins.

I would definatly put a tub out, but also would consider supplementing some energy.  Corn is still the cheapest.  Distillers is also a good choice.  Like everyone said earlier, you may need to seperate them and worm them if they haven't been wormed.  Be careful now with trying to put weight on, it is going to grow that calf if you are in the last month.  Consider roasted beans or somthing with fat in it to help the condition.  Good luck!

Carrie