Blooming heifers

[Alan]

Their winter gain is very slow. Come March when the grass comes on they really bloom and are more then ready to breed the end of May.

I copied Dun's quote from another post on heifers I was following. I found the statement both interesting and reassuring. My replacement heifers alway look terrible in the winter by my own assessment. While I don't grain them they always have good quality grass hay in front of them, along with free choice mineral. At times in the past I have gotten disappointed enough that have shipped some rather than continue to pay for feed the remaining winter. This year I'm only raising one heifer along with a some future freezer meat. She looks the usual under sized " I wonder if she make breeding weight" type of heifer. While I'm also raising a clean up bull (2010 calf) who is on 10 to 12 lbs of corn based grain a day along with free choice hay and mineral .... He looks pretty good. So I guess I'll hang onto this little girl and hope for a bloom in early spring. Our grass usually comes in mid to late march and I start breeding very early June.

I'm curious if any other see a nice heifer bloom in spring?

Thanks, Dun and to all that answer

Alan

 

[bigbull338]

cattle an calves always bloom out in the spring if theres enough grass.an they can gain alot of weight in a short time.

 

[TexasBred]

Seems everything blooms when spring comes. A good application of fertilizer on pasture and the cattle have some high quality grazing. They seem to add a lot of weight overnight. Add to that all the long hair shedding off and they do seem to "bloom". Maybe it's just because everything gets pretty in the spring. ;-)

 

[TB-Herefords]

There's really no benifits to keepin heifers in feeder condition through winter unless you breed in late winter. I have a neighbor that keeps all his animals fleshy all year, calves or cow's. Only way he does it is through input. Long story short he sold some bred heifers today for 1375.00 they weighed in at 1100 lbs. March-April calving, extreamly fleshy. Two lots later another load of "workin clothes" heifers; as the auctioner put it; weighed in at just over 950 brought 1250.00. Only difference was lighter heifers were black and fleshy ones were red; both angus. I personally know my neighbor put over $125 a head into his heifers; just this winter alone. There will be up and down arguments for both light and fleshy heifers. Managed right I think the lighter heifer will be just as fertal and have a more productive life span while doin it cheaper. And NO I'm not sayin you can starve profit and productivity into your heifers.

 

[novaman]

There's a difference between fleshy heifers and heifers grown out properly. When you say fleshy I picture an animal that has excess fat. Obviously that is a big no no with heifers because it inhibits milk production when she begins producing. I feed heifers so they gain ~1.8 pounds per day from the time they are born until they drop a calf themselves.

 

[bigbull338]

the bottomline on fleshy cows an heifers,is can they stay fleshy raising a calf an breed back.an still be fleshy at weaning time.

 

[SRBeef]

It looks to me as a beginner that there is a big difference between animals in their ability to put on and keep condition from just forage. A big difference.

I am not being critical of others practices but if we are constantly feeding ruminant cattle, other than feeders being finished, grains or other supplements (other than salt and mineral) in order to keep their condition up doesn't that keep us from seeing which genetic lines can keep condition just from forage grass/hay and which genetic lines require extra grain, silage, whatever to keep condition?

Jim

 

[dun]

It looks to me as a beginner that there is a big difference between animals in their ability to put on and keep condition from just forage. A big difference.

I am not being critical of others practices but if we are constantly feeding ruminant cattle, other than feeders being finished, grains or other supplements (other than salt and mineral) in order to keep their condition up doesn't that keep us from seeing which genetic lines can keep condition just from forage grass/hay and which genetic lines require extra grain, silage, whatever to keep condition?

Jim

Which is exactly the reason that you need to select heifers carefully even from the beginning although you're trying to grow a herd.

 

[novaman]

It looks to me as a beginner that there is a big difference between animals in their ability to put on and keep condition from just forage. A big difference.

I am not being critical of others practices but if we are constantly feeding ruminant cattle, other than feeders being finished, grains or other supplements (other than salt and mineral) in order to keep their condition up doesn't that keep us from seeing which genetic lines can keep condition just from forage grass/hay and which genetic lines require extra grain, silage, whatever to keep condition?

Jim

I understand your logic and I can agree with you but I don't think grain is fed to cattle as much as one would think. On the beef side the only thing that gets grain here is heifers and the purpose being 1.a means to get around them more and get them used to people and calm them 2.give them a little extra nutrition through the winter since they are growing animals and need better nutrition than a mature animal that simply needs to maintain. With that said my heifers only get about 6 pounds of grain per day so it isn't like they are being pushed. Once those yearlings are put out to pasture in the spring they will never see grain again. Poor doing cattle will do poor on grain just as they would on forage alone.

 

[SRBeef]

The sweet feed I use for a gentling treat - maybe 2 lb every two weeks - has gone from about $6.50/ 50 lb bag to $10/50 lb bag in the past year or so. I am even using less of that as a treat. Just enough to keep them coming to the corral when I bang on a bucket. So mine get some grain but not much.

I believe the ability to get fat or at least maintain condition on hat would be what knersie would call "easy doers"? I think heifers cows and bulls should be able to stay in condition on good hay this time of year. I have a registered heifer purchased recently at a dispersal sale that seems to need grain to stay in good condition. We'll see if she comes around or she will not be in my herd for long.

Jim

 

[agmantoo]

I am one of the few full time rotational grazers that visits here. I never feed grain and only feed hay during a drought or excessive inclimate weather. Otherwise, it is grass, growing or stockpiled plus minerals 365. I take the herd into Winter in good body condition score (5+) circumstances permitting. It does not concern me if they drop one BCS as Winter is concluding. Come Spring, I fully expect the animals to return to BCS 5+ rapidly with no negative consequences as far as cycling or longevity. I have been doing this for years so it is not a quirk. This replenishment of weight is what I refer to as compensatory gain. This weight cycling is IMO normal in nature.

 

[TexasBred]

It looks to me as a beginner that there is a big difference between animals in their ability to put on and keep condition from just forage. A big difference.

I am not being critical of others practices but if we are constantly feeding ruminant cattle, other than feeders being finished, grains or other supplements (other than salt and mineral) in order to keep their condition up doesn't that keep us from seeing which genetic lines can keep condition just from forage grass/hay and which genetic lines require extra grain, silage, whatever to keep condition?

Jim

They've done it that way in West Texas for ages...turn'em out..round them up next year...hope everythign has a calf and the death losses have been minimal. Those that can "do"..those that can't cull themselves. Personally...I don't want my cattle to have to work that hard so I give them them some help. Probably does me more good than them.

 

[dun]

This is the bloom I am talking about.
3-24-09 BW 85, 9-24-09 adjWW 677, Spring 4-24-10 922, fall 10-6-10 1075, Due to calve 4-23-11

 

[Dylan Biggs]

This is the bloom I am talking about.
3-24-09 BW 85, 9-24-09 adjWW 677, Spring 4-24-10 922, fall 10-6-10 1075, Due to calve 4-23-11

No lack of condition there!!!