Heifer getting quite the belly

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ISquaredCattle

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Jul 25, 2023
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41
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USA
I have a March 2024 heifer I'm feeding for market heifer and she's really putting on a belly. The calves I'm feeding with her look just fine. Any suggestions?
She's on High Noon Feeds Heifer Developer 13% protein 17% fiber and grass hay
 

vc

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Jul 24, 2007
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Feeding a market heifer is quite tricky, you can't feed them like a steer they will get fat on you. How much is she getting a day, how much does she weigh. any pictures, it might help to see what she is looking like.
 

vc

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That's to much grain in my opinion, I would cut het down to 8-10 pounds of grain for a short time to see if she will slim down then just feed her 2% percent of her body weight. You are currently feeding more than 3% of her weight, she is getting way more calories than she needs to grow, so she is getting fat.
every one is different, some need more feed just to grow, others need to be controlled or they just get fat on you. Do you feed her by herself or with other calves?
 

ISquaredCattle

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Messages
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Location
USA
Lol i messed up, sorry, 5# twice a day.

She's with other calves in the morning but I halter her and feed her separately at night.
 

vc

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Jul 24, 2007
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She looks fine may be just in a stage of growing, have you wormed her? She definitely is not getting fat, You may want to even increase her feed a little more. The feed you are feeding her is designed for heifers intended to used as a breeding heifers after reading the label, you will want to change her at some point to the developer intended for market animals.
 
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