-Help- Feeding Pregnant Show Heifers

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mchalmar

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
17
My heifer is coming back from her breeder's place very soon and is pregnant with her first calf.  (clapping) I'm super excited, but I have some worries because no one (my breeder, my Ag teachers, my cattle showing buddies) can agree on what to do when it comes to feeding her. One of my concerns is if I feed her too much, or what she was eating before, the baby will get too big and cause a bumpier experience.  I have read on here that the last 60 days are major growing days for the fetus, and that is really interesting (to me, at least), I just don't know how to apply that information. Here was her feeding (2X/Day) BEFORE she went back to her breeder, for reference:
-2 lbs. Cottonseed Hulls
-3 lbs. Beet Pulp
-4 1/2 lbs. Oats
-6 lbs. Sweet Feed
Thanks for your Help. :)


 

cowman 52

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Joined
Jan 16, 2009
Messages
719
Location
San Angelo Texas
From what I see the heifer weighs around 900? There is not much in the feed you are on that would bother me a lot, the protien isn't much past 10 depending on the sweet feed. You didn't give a breed but the only thing I would do is have her checked about a month ahead of calving,  you can determine just how big the calf is and plan according to that. A good amount of hay would sure be in order.
 

chambero

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Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
3,207
Location
Texas
If she is a British breed I probably wouldnt feed her much besides good hay her last trimester, but to a certain extent it depends on when your most important shows are in relation to calving.  Lots of exercise is as important as how much you feed in my opinion.  Pardon the terminology, but if you have a lazy heifer I would worry more than one that has a little spunk and acts like a diva.
 

mchalmar

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
17
Cowman 52- The protein content of the sweet feed says "(min) 14%" .. she has had a whole square bale of hay at all times, but she doesn't really eat it. We've tried 3 different places for hay, and when she'd finally eat it, she'd stop after a week. Any suggestions for that?

Chambero- I'm in Texas, so the majors are all about to get going. She won't be heavy bred for them, but she will have a fall calf, which I prefer for cow/calf pair showing purposes. She is pretty active since we got a new turn out. She pushes with other heifers and runs and what not.

A bit more general information:  She was in the upper 900s in early November. She's an Eye Candy X Chi/Char Cross. She's a continental, to put it broadly. My breeder suggested we use an Angus bull. I decided to use Northline Fat Tony 605U, he's a Red Angus, I know, I'm just slightly difficult.  ::) I don't think that was a necessarily bad idea, I am just a bit anxious due to mixed opinions on his calf reports.

Thanks for y'alls help and time!
 

chambero

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Joined
Feb 12, 2007
Messages
3,207
Location
Texas
I'm from Tx also.  Feed her "like a steer" till after Houston.  I would feed a good brand name grower or developer (2-3% of her body weight with maybe just a little beet pulp substituted).  If you use the plastic feed scoops almost everyone does, I'll typically feed 4 scoops of feed and one scoop of pulp.  Exotic heifers have to be pretty fat and you dont have time to mess around if she's not.

Come June, turn her out on grass and just feed her a little here and there till she has that baby.
 
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