Raising a steer and heifer together.....is this a good idea??

[SlickTxMaine]

My son is in his 3rd year of raising a steer for our local show and this year my 9 yr. old daughter will be showing for her first time and would like to show a heifer.  My question is; can a steer and heifer be raised together?  What is the difference in the feed needs/requirements for a steer vs a heifer.  I know heifers do not need the finish like a steer, so at what point to they need to be separated for feeding purposes.  Any help is appreciated.  While we still consider ourselves amateurs at the steer thing, we have never raised a show heifer.  Thanks!

 

[STX108]

Best to keep them in separate pens....most people feed steers 3% of their body weight while heifers are fed 2.5% of their body weight...some feed steers and heifers different feed as well...just a thought.

 

[M-n-M Cattle Company]

We have had pretty good sucsess with having them in the same pen, BUT we always tied them up to eat. We did it kinda like you would at a show, and it also seemed to help come them down and help them eat tied up at a show. Hope this helps  ;D

 

[Bulldaddy]

They will always do better if they have a buddy.  Just feed them separately or tie them when you feed as previously suggested.

 

[GoWyo]

We have a separate pen that heifer follows you into at feeding time and when the steers get done (they get more grain and take longer to eat), let heifer out.  Steers help with heat detection come breeding time.

 

[frostback]

I have 5 in a pen together. Three steers and two heifers. They are trained to go to their own pans to get their grain and when all are done they go eat their hay together. Nothing wrong with having them together but make sure they are used to being alone some too. When one goes to a show or the show ring they could act up with separation anxiety. When a heifer is in heat I just put her in a small pen for the day or so.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

Thanks to all for the info.  We are limitted on space, and was hoping there was a way to swing this. 

 

[shufly]

I agree with everyone in terms of feeding them seperate.  The problem we had a few years ago when we fed the steer and heifer together is that when we turned the heifer out with the clean up bull after AI, the steer didn't eat.  He also didn't make weight at fair due to this time off feed.

 

[kobo_ranch]

We fed our heifer and steers pretty much together last year, just different rations and quantity.  Again like the other poster said trained to go to own feed pans.  As the year progressed we did have to separate (we have a two sided pen) cause our heifer was a piggy...  but still where they could see each other.  Cattle as you know are such creatures of attachment and our three I called our musketeers because they were always upset if weren't together or away from each other.  Good luck!

 

[stkrdge]

The first thing you need to determine is how they individually need to be fed. If they both need to be pushed or held back then feed them together. If they need to be on seperate programs then tie them up and feed them in pans like everyone else has sugested. If you do feed them togher keep a close eye on them to make sure one or the other dosent make a pig out of themselves(loose or sour smelling stool).

 

[shortdawg]

The first thing you need to determine is how they individually need to be fed. If they both need to be pushed or held back then feed them together. If they need to be on seperate programs then tie them up and feed them in pans like everyone else has sugested. If you do feed them togher keep a close eye on them to make sure one or the other dosent make a pig out of themselves(loose or sour smelling stool).

This is kind of what we do. We feed them as needed and pen them as needed. Meaning if two steers need to be pushed we them pen together, if a steer and heifer both need to be pushed we pen them together, we always have at least four head so we just pen them accordingly. Sometimes two steers or heifers together and sometimes mixed sexes.

 

[Ms Ray]

We raised my sons steer and heifer toether last year and like many people we tied them to feed they got diffrent types of feed but around the same amount, they got to know where there buckets were and we didn't have to tie them after awhile.  the only problem we had was the steer did not like being away from her.  But we also have the same issue with 2 steers this year,