CANT GAIN ANY WEIGHT???

[the house]

i have a heifer from Lila and Sin city that is about 1 year old and she looks good she has bone structer hair all that good stuff but i am having a problem with getting her to gain weight she is eating about 50 pounds of feed a day and just will not gain those ever needed punds to put her in the top of her class.. any sugestions on how i can gain those needed punds she was bred in august ???this is her most recent picture at the forth worth show from this past weekend she is the rone heifer in the middle being showed by the guy in the pink shirt

 

[yuppiecowboy]

Fifty pounds of grain? That is an awful lot. I am surprised she will take that much. What is your ration? There are certain things you can feed or different mixes that will help put "bloom" on a calf, but the fact is SOME shorthorns just are ectomorphic and wont put on cover. It sounds to me that you have a hard keeping heifer. If it makes you feel better my best producing cow looks like she is about to lay down and die year round regardless what she is eating.

 

[Jill]

She is definitely not carring any extra condition, and for some that is a good thing, but that won't get you the placing you want.  Have you tried a finishing ration instead of a grower, try cooking corn, oil on the feed, have you tried worming her?  If you are feeding 50 pounds a day something is wrong, she doesn't have enough condition for that kind of feed intake.

 

[showgirl2010]

Did you say 50lbs.?  What are you feeding her now?  We use a special ration that is basically corn and cottonseed huls and for heifers that need to be brought to their milk we add some beet pulp.  Sometimes we soak the beet pulp because its so dry.  Using less corn and more cotton seed hulls will expand their stomaches.  If you would like the ration I could post it.  We have been using it for a year now and have had very good luck with it.  Of course my dad has played around with the ration and adjusted it to our needs or the weather.  Such as take out a little bit of corn and add more of something else in the summer to help reduce heat.  Hope this helps.  

 

[the house]

her feed is as follows
crude protein.......   13%
crude fat............     3%
crude fiber..........   13%
calcium..............    1%
phosphorus.........  .35%
salt...................  .75%
vitamin a............    4.75 i.u/lb
vitamin d............    .80 i.u./lb
vitamin e............    .0005 i.u/lb

beet pulp & corn are also added into her feed

 

[the house]

yes please i would love to hear what everybody is feeding that is workin for them

 

[Jill]

her feed is as follows
crude protein.......   13%
crude fat............     3%
crude fiber..........   13%
calcium..............    1%
phosphorus.........  .35%
salt...................  .75%
vitamin a............    4.75 i.u/lb
vitamin d............    .80 i.u./lb
vitamin e............    .0005 i.u/lb

beet pulp & corn are also added into her feed

If you are wanting weight gain, get rid of the beet pulp!

 

[showsteerdlux]

Cut down on the fiber.

 

[shortyjock89]

THE HOUSE- I just messaged you, I sent you our feed recipe.  If anyone is interested, let me know, it's a pretty popular mix used by alot of top producers.

 

[OH Breeder]

There are lots of rations that will add fat. I would reduce the amount of protein and also get rid of beet pulp. Increase corn and decrease oats. 60/40 ration or 70/30 ration for a while will increase weight. If you feed a prebagged feed check to see if they have that type of ration. Or you can add cracked corn to your ration and mix. Or you can have your elevator mix custom.

 

[AAOK]

Let's address your ration as is, before you add anything.  It is a developer, and is short on esential minerals and vitamins. Go buy a brand name finisher ration, and feed her 15 pounds, twice a day. Also, keep out a quality mineral for her, Free Choice.  Add one flake of good hay per day.  If she has the genetic make-up to gain, she will.

 

[the house]

her sire is af sl sin city, and her dam is cf rodeo lila 490 you can look them up under the serch engine on the website shorthorn.org

 

[the house]

i have been adding a few scoops of cracked corn to her feed. could it be that all the protien is too much for her age and she is burning off any nutrients she is taking in

 

[showsteerdlux]

THE HOUSE- I just messaged you, I sent you our feed recipe.  If anyone is interested, let me know, it's a pretty popular mix used by alot of top producers.

I'd like it please when you get a chance.

 

[showsteerdlux]

I don't think its to high on protein. i agree with the others. move her to a finisher and you will probably see better results. make sure the fiber is below 10% if not lower IMO. If you look at feeds such as Umbargers Cattle Blaster or Kalmbach maybe you can get a better idea on the levels.

 

[showgirl2010]

THE HOUSE- I just messaged you, I sent you our feed recipe.  If anyone is interested, let me know, it's a pretty popular mix used by alot of top producers.

I'd like it please when you get a chance.

Me too.  Would love to see what everyone else is feeding and compare it to my own.

SG

 

[OH Breeder]

One more thing, I always make sure they have plenty of probiotics. We burn them out on feed and need on occassion replace the naturally occurring enzymes. You can pick them up at TSC or Sullivans as crumbles or gel.

 

[OH Breeder]

I don't think its to high on protein. i agree with the others. move her to a finisher and you will probably see better results. make sure the fiber is below 10% if not lower IMO. If you look at feeds such as Umbargers Cattle Blaster or Kalmbach maybe you can get a better idea on the levels.

Protein is where you get your grow. If you want to increase fat you have to reduce protein. Some of the Cattle Blasters are 10-12% protein. I feed Umbargers and mix grower breeder with the finisher and they like it.

 

[the house]

once again her sire isaf sl sin city and her dam is cf rodeo lila 490 she has great gentics due to calf the begging of june

 

[AAOK]

once again her sire isaf sl sin city and her dam is cf rodeo lila 490 she has great gentics due to calf the begging of june

You aren't listening!!