Fed out heifer

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redfornow

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Anyone here ever feed out a heifer only to have her calve....

Long story but this is the short version... Proves vets are human. Never saw the heifer cycle, had her preg checked in nov. came up openafter being with the heifer bull for the summer
Vet said she had a underdeveloped repo tract.
Anyhow, put her in the freezer beef group and been feeding her out. 20-25 lbs a day of corn, corn gluten and soy hulls for seven weeks....

She had been bagging up, just thought it was fat on the udder?
Well she started to spring, got her in the headgate and you guessed it CALF....
Bull got her first cycle looks like? Should calf anyday.

She is a big heifer, heavy I would say a BCS of 7 or so.

Anyone ever been here? If I would have been able to get a slaughter date sooner. She would have been gone.

Time will tell if she should have been?
 
Yep, got one now, that is starting to really show. Thought she was bred earlier than this, but whatever the case, she was NOT supposed to be bred at all. She was getting about 15 lbs of barley up til about Feb 1, so she is in pretty good shape too. She is not a big animal either, but what do you do.....
 
randiliana":1agw9cd1 said:
Yep, got one now, that is starting to really show. Thought she was bred earlier than this, but whatever the case, she was NOT supposed to be bred at all. She was getting about 15 lbs of barley up til about Feb 1, so she is in pretty good shape too. She is not a big animal either, but what do you do.....

Yep interesting deal...

Wondering how the grain the last six or seven weeks is gonna effect BW?
My girl is around 1000-1100 or so, she can have it.
 
According to some papers I've read, they said no matter how much protein you feed them, the calf is only going to put on an extra 10#. Now, don't get me wrong "only 10#" could be a killer, but sounds like she's big enough. Just going to be in great shape to cycyle right back for an early breeding :banana:
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":vljxn2x7 said:
According to some papers I've read, they said no matter how much protein you feed them, the calf is only going to put on an extra 10#. Now, don't get me wrong "only 10#" could be a killer, but sounds like she's big enough. Just going to be in great shape to cycyle right back for an early breeding :banana:

She was always one of the lookers...
Out of a nice cow. Just didnt breed? lol
Or at least we thought she wasnt?
Best heifer on the place. Was gonna be a feeder because she didnt take in the 90 day cycle.

We are tough on em...
 
Excess fat on the heifer might be a bigger issue than a heavier calf. Not much to do at this point except watch her.
 
Right now my brother has this exact problem. I was at his house yesterday looking at a heifer and thought heck I think she's pregnant. :shock: So I told him and he took a closer look at her and called me today and said she was bagging up. Problem is she's only about 750 lbs. and on heavy grain. :frowns: She sure didn't look like it when he got her from the neighbor about six weeks ago.
 
Chris H":bc4zllly said:
Excess fat on the heifer might be a bigger issue than a heavier calf. Not much to do at this point except watch her.


Chris you nailed it....
But had further issues than that, right leg was totally back.
Big calf, small opening, and poor presentation.

Had to cut the calf out. One of the worst things I have ever done. Just a mess.
All after dark at midnight?
Saved the heifer tho, she is in the kill pen right now and will be slaughtered four weeks late but she will eat just fine.

A total mess. Is all I can tell you. Just a mess.
 
redfornow":36ctf03j said:
Chris H":36ctf03j said:
Excess fat on the heifer might be a bigger issue than a heavier calf. Not much to do at this point except watch her.


Chris you nailed it....
But had further issues than that, right leg was totally back.
Big calf, small opening, and poor presentation.

Had to cut the calf out. One of the worst things I have ever done. Just a mess.
All after dark at midnight?
Saved the heifer tho, she is in the kill pen right now and will be slaughtered four weeks late but she will eat just fine.

A total mess. Is all I can tell you. Just a mess.

Sorry to hear about your situation with the heifer. Can the poor presentation and the small opening be related to the feeding as well as the big calf?
 
Poor presentation is many times associated with a calf larger than "it's surroundings". They can't get turned around & in position easily.
Research says that over-feeding a heifer is better than underfeeding (generally will only increase calf size by 10#) - BUT - feedlot feeding a heifer can be disastrous - and many times they are undersized too boot.
But, you say she is a big heifer and obviously the calf was too big for her.
Sorry for your mess - sure is discouraging isn't it?
 
Jeanne - Simme Valley":2mtzp3yf said:
Poor presentation is many times associated with a calf larger than "it's surroundings". They can't get turned around & in position easily.
Research says that over-feeding a heifer is better than underfeeding (generally will only increase calf size by 10#) - BUT - feedlot feeding a heifer can be disastrous - and many times they are undersized too boot.
But, you say she is a big heifer and obviously the calf was too big for her.
Sorry for your mess - sure is discouraging isn't it?

Yes its discouraging. I think we get used to some just not making it.
But this situation was just a mess from the get go. Thats the way it goes sometimes?
Its a hard way to lose one, I will tell you that.

I can tell you cutting a calf out isnt any fun. The Vet tells me this is weird that you could go a lifetime and not see this presentation? But that it happens? Just my luck? When you "need" it to go right it rarely does.

Had a black bull calf last night... so we are back on the right track....
 

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