We are wondering what to do with daughter's heifer now... brief history... Simmental born Jan. 06. AI in April... didn't stick... Someone kindly allowed us to stick her on his 100 acres with his Simmental bull (who has been used on heifers successfully) at the end of May. Due to extremely rainy weather here in the Houston area she has been there longer than expected. During this time she was treated like a cow... no feed or supplements. We are bringing her back next week and aren't sure how to feed her. She was always finicky so I doubt overfeeding will be an issue. Also, how to get her used to being worked with again. Planning on our county fair in October, Ft. Worth, San Antonio, and Houston and I'm sure we need to encourage some hair growth! Thanks for the help
Turning heifer back into a show animal
- Thread starter Simmimom
- Start date
Help Support Steer Planet:
red
Well-known member
(welcome) Simmimom!
I'd start her out on a good mineral program first. Make sure she's up on her worming & vaccination program. I'd start her out gradually on a good feed. If she's picky go w/ what she likes. Just increase her gradually so that she's cleaning it up each time.
Begin getting her hair back in condition w/ a good washing. Then rinse as often as possbile. I'd also use conditioner on her hair & maybe Revive several times a week.
Check her hooves to make sure she doesn't need a hoof trimming job.
Best of luck!
Red
I'd start her out on a good mineral program first. Make sure she's up on her worming & vaccination program. I'd start her out gradually on a good feed. If she's picky go w/ what she likes. Just increase her gradually so that she's cleaning it up each time.
Begin getting her hair back in condition w/ a good washing. Then rinse as often as possbile. I'd also use conditioner on her hair & maybe Revive several times a week.
Check her hooves to make sure she doesn't need a hoof trimming job.
Best of luck!
Red
Good Luck!!! I think time is the biggest thing. You have to have enough time to allow for the feed to work. We tried to pull one off pasture last year with only a month to go in the heat of the summer. We just couldn't get her turned around fast enough for our county fair. However by state fair - a month later... she looked good.
Jill
Well-known member
It kind of all depends on how well she held her condition. We kicked one out to pasture after Jr. Nationals because she had gotten too fat and she needed to loose some of her conditioning, we brought her back in last week and I'm not sure she has lost a thing. Most of them once they have been shown you don't have a problem getting them back into the routine of working with them, they never seem to forget that, but start slowly on the feed, you don't want her with the runs. Good Luck
Thanks for the advice. Hoof trimmer scheduled for Aug. 8th. About minerals, do you have a suggested brand? We have a red and a plain white block in her pen. Suggestion for loose minerals? Also, about worming... someone said to be careful until she is settled... at what point do you think that would be ? ??? ???
red
Well-known member
I'd use a loose mineral. Find they eat it better. I'd check w/ your local feed store for what is the best for your area. Different areas have different needs.
On the worming check w/ your local vet. Same thing for vaccinations if needed.
Red
On the worming check w/ your local vet. Same thing for vaccinations if needed.
Red
AAOK
Well-known member
All good avice in the above posts. We have been through this process, also with a heifer we couldn't get AId.
First of all, get rid of the blocks. They are absolutely worthless. Never put out a salt block; always feed a Quality Mineral such as: ADM/Alliance, Vita-Ferm, Vigortone.
Here is what we did. We were fortunate to have a big shade tree close to the barn with a lot of about 3 acres of good grass. I put down a heavy bed of shavings under the tree, and hung a fan with a mister just above. I kept a creep feeder in this lot for about 30 days filled with our Show Ration so that she had it free choice. We rinsed and worked hair every evening, and had her in tip top shape within just a few weeks.
First of all, get rid of the blocks. They are absolutely worthless. Never put out a salt block; always feed a Quality Mineral such as: ADM/Alliance, Vita-Ferm, Vigortone.
Here is what we did. We were fortunate to have a big shade tree close to the barn with a lot of about 3 acres of good grass. I put down a heavy bed of shavings under the tree, and hung a fan with a mister just above. I kept a creep feeder in this lot for about 30 days filled with our Show Ration so that she had it free choice. We rinsed and worked hair every evening, and had her in tip top shape within just a few weeks.
OH Breeder
Well-known member
In years past we have had a couple of heifers that were just too fat, so we turned them out on pasture with cows and let them run the summer before our county fair. In august usually the first, we would pull them back in and use a "grower" ration .It seems to be easier on their system. Once they got comfortable with that we would gradually mix higher corn ration with the grower ration. Of course worm etc. Usually not an issue. Oh and free choice hay, here we use a grass hay very rarely alfafa or mixed.Simmimom said:
