vbd
Well-known member
Once again I will show my ignorance...
Background info: We have a hereford heifer that the vet says was at 39 days on the 16th of Dec. She is a sale barn calf I bought on the 23nd of Dec. last year and I guessed she was 3 to 4 months old at that point, which makes her 15 / 16 months old now. She is in great shape. I think she looks very good condition wise. My brother-in-law (dairy guy) thinks she is a bit fat. Her weight on the 16th was 840lbs. She is in the pasture with decent grass with 5 younger (6 mo old) heifers and I give them a little grain daily.
Brother-in-law says if I feed her, it will grow the calf and increase calf size. I think the calf size will be whatever genetics make it...all within reason now and I understand that we do not want her to be fat!
Question::?: Within reason, will the amount of feed change the calf's birth weight?
BTW: What is a second calf heifer? I have seen the term used here but do not understand it.
Thanks all, Van
Background info: We have a hereford heifer that the vet says was at 39 days on the 16th of Dec. She is a sale barn calf I bought on the 23nd of Dec. last year and I guessed she was 3 to 4 months old at that point, which makes her 15 / 16 months old now. She is in great shape. I think she looks very good condition wise. My brother-in-law (dairy guy) thinks she is a bit fat. Her weight on the 16th was 840lbs. She is in the pasture with decent grass with 5 younger (6 mo old) heifers and I give them a little grain daily.
Brother-in-law says if I feed her, it will grow the calf and increase calf size. I think the calf size will be whatever genetics make it...all within reason now and I understand that we do not want her to be fat!
Question::?: Within reason, will the amount of feed change the calf's birth weight?
BTW: What is a second calf heifer? I have seen the term used here but do not understand it.
Thanks all, Van