Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeding / Calving Issues
Bred Heifer Weights
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="KNERSIE" data-source="post: 574425" data-attributes="member: 4353"><p>I'll be the contrarian again...</p><p></p><p>It's ideal to have heifers at around 85% of mature weight when the calf (the weight after calving, not including the weight of the foetus). Assuming they'll mature at 1300lbs you want an empty weight of 1105 lbs, take the weight of the foetus for 150lbs including placenta, foetal water, etc, so ideally you want to hit 1250 just before calving...</p><p></p><p>...<strong>However</strong>, I have calved many heifers out at 1000lbs and even less because of drought, or other factors, if the grazing is good you'll be surprised how much they'll grow in the first few months after calving and then again as soon as the first calves are weaned. It certainly isn't ideal, but it can be done without ruining their productive lifes.</p><p></p><p>If you are on the light side two months before calving its never a bad idea to just maintain them then and limit the protein and energy intake, in my herd this means just straw and a protein lick in block form. Make sure they are free of parasites and give them a shot of Multimin +(either, Se, Cu, Br or the combinations thereof depending on your area) 2 months before calving and again a month before calving followed up by another one a month before breeding season starts.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KNERSIE, post: 574425, member: 4353"] I'll be the contrarian again... It's ideal to have heifers at around 85% of mature weight when the calf (the weight after calving, not including the weight of the foetus). Assuming they'll mature at 1300lbs you want an empty weight of 1105 lbs, take the weight of the foetus for 150lbs including placenta, foetal water, etc, so ideally you want to hit 1250 just before calving... ...[b]However[/b], I have calved many heifers out at 1000lbs and even less because of drought, or other factors, if the grazing is good you'll be surprised how much they'll grow in the first few months after calving and then again as soon as the first calves are weaned. It certainly isn't ideal, but it can be done without ruining their productive lifes. If you are on the light side two months before calving its never a bad idea to just maintain them then and limit the protein and energy intake, in my herd this means just straw and a protein lick in block form. Make sure they are free of parasites and give them a shot of Multimin +(either, Se, Cu, Br or the combinations thereof depending on your area) 2 months before calving and again a month before calving followed up by another one a month before breeding season starts. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Cattle Boards
Breeding / Calving Issues
Bred Heifer Weights
Top