Our Brangus Heifer is due to deliver about Feb. 28th to March the 9th. She normally has her fill of Hay and 2-3 scoops of ground corn and sweet feed per day. Should we cut back on the feed during the last month?
Feed for last month of pregnancy
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Susie David
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She isn't just maintaining her weight, she's growing a calf and needs every bit of nutrient from her groceries. The claf will develop about 70% of it's weight during the last three months. We increase the ration during the third trimester and switch to a higher protein content alfalfa and up the grain ration a bit. I'd monitor her intake if she isn't fed free choice to insure a wet feed bunk.
Don't cut back...increase a bit.
DMc
Don't cut back...increase a bit.
DMc
If your heifer is confined to a pen or corral, be careful how much you increase her feed as a lot of it will go to the calf's development and you could end up with calving difficulties. I learned that lesson the hard way last spring! 
jpitney":8nc9bu1d said:
You do not provide enough info.
What is her condition now?
Is she over fat?
Is she carrying a lot of weight?
Is she just maintaining or is she gaining in fat?
Is she losing condition?
"Scoop" size / weight of additional feed?
What is the vitamin, protein and mineral content of her feed?
Hay quality and protein content?
You may already be in a situation where she is getting enough and to increase could cause her to just p$$$ it out on the ground.
Decrease may or may not be required
Lots to consider before you just go and add or subtract.
Lots of cows go through an entire winter outside on straight hay until last trimester - then get some rolled or whole grain on the ground - along with some salt and mineral - then give the old rancher/farmer a fine calf without any worries.
Give us a bit more info and then lets go from there.
Bez!
She is in excellent shape. Not gaining fat but just showing the calf high and wide. She does not act like she is more hungry than usual. She has a salt block and Mineral block which she uses but not excessively. I ask the question because I had read that over feeding can cause a large calf and that is not good for a first time birthing. Her hay is rated at 16.5 % protien and the feed is pure ground corn and southern sweet feed in a 50-50 mixture. The scoop size is about 3 # per scoop.Bez!":na9e7hf7 said:
If your hay is 16% she needs nothing else at all. If she is tending to fat stop the grain and simply free choice her on hay.
Our herd gets hay that runs at 7-8% for the first trimester - 9-10% for the second trimester. Salt and mineral.
Last trimester the girls get the best hay on the lot - some of it runs in the 11-13% range - and if I am feeling generous they also get a little corn. Let's not go into the cracked vs whole issue - but we use whole because we are too cheap to grind.
Pics of some are still available on the boards if you search for them.
That is it and that is all. I can assure you the girls do well and we as a general rule have never had a calving prob or a cow condition problem. Then again we now breed to this regime. If they cannot make the grade, they go down the road.
We are probably one of the lowest cost producers you could ever imagine. :lol:
I would say you are in the "over feed mode".
In fact I would say her grain ration is likely a waste of money right from the start - most of it is probably not being utilized. Just use it as a "come to the call treat" once in a while.
Overfeeding can cause a pile of issues.
Just my thoughts - take them or leave them - opinions as you know are like ********* - we all have them. 8) .
Nice to see someone who actually knows what their hay is rated at.
Regards,
Bez!
Our herd gets hay that runs at 7-8% for the first trimester - 9-10% for the second trimester. Salt and mineral.
Last trimester the girls get the best hay on the lot - some of it runs in the 11-13% range - and if I am feeling generous they also get a little corn. Let's not go into the cracked vs whole issue - but we use whole because we are too cheap to grind.
Pics of some are still available on the boards if you search for them.
That is it and that is all. I can assure you the girls do well and we as a general rule have never had a calving prob or a cow condition problem. Then again we now breed to this regime. If they cannot make the grade, they go down the road.
We are probably one of the lowest cost producers you could ever imagine. :lol:
I would say you are in the "over feed mode".
In fact I would say her grain ration is likely a waste of money right from the start - most of it is probably not being utilized. Just use it as a "come to the call treat" once in a while.
Overfeeding can cause a pile of issues.
Just my thoughts - take them or leave them - opinions as you know are like ********* - we all have them. 8) .
Nice to see someone who actually knows what their hay is rated at.
Regards,
Bez!
DiamondSCattleCo
Well-known member
I'll second Bez's comments about overfeeding.
I do things a little different than Bez though. I feed the best feed on the place in the fall, just when they're starting 2nd trimester. It gets the cows into great shape going into winter, which up here could end up being very cold and miserable. About 2 months before calving, I switch to the lowest protein hay on the place (which is usually not lower 10 - 12%), mix it with a little straw to knock down the protein a little more, and begin mixing my mineral with salt to increase mineral consumption (my cattle don't really take to free choice mineral).
The only thing high protein is doing in the 3rd trimester is giving you a bigger calf. Get the mineral intake up so the cow/calf will have the necessary reserves during the birthing process. I don't mind seeing the cows lose a _little_ condition during 3rd trimester, but its generally because they are too fat from the fall anyway.
Edit: I should note that my cattle are specifically selected for easy keeping. They don't need much to put weight on and raise a calf. I'm unfamiliar with Brangus animals, so if they are a harder keeping, you may need hotter feed in your 3rd trimester to keep body condition acceptable.
Rod
I do things a little different than Bez though. I feed the best feed on the place in the fall, just when they're starting 2nd trimester. It gets the cows into great shape going into winter, which up here could end up being very cold and miserable. About 2 months before calving, I switch to the lowest protein hay on the place (which is usually not lower 10 - 12%), mix it with a little straw to knock down the protein a little more, and begin mixing my mineral with salt to increase mineral consumption (my cattle don't really take to free choice mineral).
The only thing high protein is doing in the 3rd trimester is giving you a bigger calf. Get the mineral intake up so the cow/calf will have the necessary reserves during the birthing process. I don't mind seeing the cows lose a _little_ condition during 3rd trimester, but its generally because they are too fat from the fall anyway.
Edit: I should note that my cattle are specifically selected for easy keeping. They don't need much to put weight on and raise a calf. I'm unfamiliar with Brangus animals, so if they are a harder keeping, you may need hotter feed in your 3rd trimester to keep body condition acceptable.
Rod
buckaroo_bif
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Keep them at a bcs of 6.
Just some info on body condition and calving from a study done at O.S.U.
on first calf heifers
body condition of 4 33% were assisted
body condition of 5 32% were assisted
body condition of 6 35% were assisted
the bcs of 4 re-bred in 85 days was 65%
the bcs of 5 re-bred in 85 days was 78%
the bcs of 6 re-bred in 85 days was 89%!
of thin heifers 10% lost calves and 50% scoured!
Their conclusion was cows must be in a bcs of 5 to 6 and first calf heifers should be in a bcs of 6 at calving time. It is very expensive and very difficult to regain body condition After caliving and still achieve an acceptable re-breeding percentage. If cows are to maintain a calving interval of one year they must conceive within 80 to 85 days after caliving. Many of the thinner cows did not even begin cycling again till much after 85 days.
bif
Just some info on body condition and calving from a study done at O.S.U.
on first calf heifers
body condition of 4 33% were assisted
body condition of 5 32% were assisted
body condition of 6 35% were assisted
the bcs of 4 re-bred in 85 days was 65%
the bcs of 5 re-bred in 85 days was 78%
the bcs of 6 re-bred in 85 days was 89%!
of thin heifers 10% lost calves and 50% scoured!
Their conclusion was cows must be in a bcs of 5 to 6 and first calf heifers should be in a bcs of 6 at calving time. It is very expensive and very difficult to regain body condition After caliving and still achieve an acceptable re-breeding percentage. If cows are to maintain a calving interval of one year they must conceive within 80 to 85 days after caliving. Many of the thinner cows did not even begin cycling again till much after 85 days.
bif
Bobg
Well-known member
When we ran quite a few cows in MT, we fed nothing but orchard/clover hay. Never gave them any grain, kept mineral and salt out for them all the time. If you feed grain during the last trimester you increase your chance of calving problems.
Bobg
Bobg
buckaroo_bif
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Bobg":21rm5yn2 said:
I concur, good hay no grain.
bif
Sure don't mean to start an arguement, especially since I have no first hand knowledge, but I heard a guy from ISU speak on this topic once. He said they did a study where they tried very hard to increase a calf's size with grain and they could not do it. He thought some guys were so scared of giving them grain, they actually hurt them more than helped them. They could, however, change the calf's size by over supplementing protein.
buckaroo_bif
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I concur, over supplementing protein, whether it be hay or grain will increase calf size. Key is to not over feed in either case. I just never saw the need to go to the extra expense of feeding grain when there is plenty of hay.
Others might be in a different situation as to feed availability.
bif
Others might be in a different situation as to feed availability.
bif
jpitney":1czlgy6o said:
Overfeeding could potentially cause problems...but I'd be just as concerned about a weak heifer in poor body condition having any size calf. Could cause more problems than it's worth attempting to get a small calf.
I wouldn't limit her feed, but I wouldn't increase it either; with the exception of hay which should be free-choice.
milkmaid":1zzc6o9n said:
Milkmaid, you didn't state what type of hay and I don't normally disagree with you but in this instance I do - depending on the type of hay. The heifers we had to pull last spring were fed nothing but ground hay (predominantly high protein alfalfa) and beet pulp - no grain at all. The majority of them were not confined to a corral for more than a few days prior to calving and those calves were 90 - 110 lbs. I don't believe I would be feeding a high protien hay free choice to a bunch of pregnant first calvers.
Try this on - if your hay is as you state - the nutritionist believes your animal needs no grain from what I read - if pasture is good there is no needed suplemental feeding - just mineral - contact details below if you are interested:
Bez!
----------------------------------------
Make or Break: Cow Nutrition Pre and Post Calving
Author: Christoph Wand - Beef Cattle, Sheep and Goat Nutritionist/OMAF
Creation Date: 01 January 2000
Last Reviewed: 08 July 2003
Beef cows need little babying. There is one exception that cannot be overlooked! That is the period prior to calving, and the weeks following it.
Pre Calving Nutrition – The nutrition of the cow in the last 1.5 months of gestation are critical. If at no other time in pregnancy an effort is made to elevate the plane of nutrition it must happen here! Poor nutrition at this point reduces calf vigour, health, survivability and performance. A major reason for this is poor colostrum quality and availability, as well as the calf's inability to stand and use it quickly. Additionally, selenium as well as other nutrient deficiencies have been linked to poor colostrum production. From a maintenance diet of 50% TDN* and 6.5% CP*, the cow should experience a transition to a diet of 60% TDN and 9% CP by 40 days before the first anticipated calf. Such a diet is possible with high quality forage, or some moderate forage plus 2 lbs. of grain. At calving, BCS* should be equal to 3.5 on the 1 to 5 system. As always, ensure proper mineral supplementation.
Post Calving Nutrition – To maximise calf growth and re-breeding, attention must be given to nutrition. Energy and protein deprived cows (BCS less than 2.5) are less likely to cycle early, and less likely to conceive and retain early pregnancies. The better the nutrition from calving to breeding, the better the calf crop next year. A greater number of fertile cows early in the breeding season means more calves born as a group next year. Shoot for a BCS of 3 at breeding by staying on a diet of about 60% TDN and 9.5% CP or more. Often, well-managed pasture will do.
TDN = total digestible nutrient
CP = crude protein
BCS = body condition score
| Top of Page |
For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
Email: [email protected]
Bez!
----------------------------------------
Make or Break: Cow Nutrition Pre and Post Calving
Author: Christoph Wand - Beef Cattle, Sheep and Goat Nutritionist/OMAF
Creation Date: 01 January 2000
Last Reviewed: 08 July 2003
Beef cows need little babying. There is one exception that cannot be overlooked! That is the period prior to calving, and the weeks following it.
Pre Calving Nutrition – The nutrition of the cow in the last 1.5 months of gestation are critical. If at no other time in pregnancy an effort is made to elevate the plane of nutrition it must happen here! Poor nutrition at this point reduces calf vigour, health, survivability and performance. A major reason for this is poor colostrum quality and availability, as well as the calf's inability to stand and use it quickly. Additionally, selenium as well as other nutrient deficiencies have been linked to poor colostrum production. From a maintenance diet of 50% TDN* and 6.5% CP*, the cow should experience a transition to a diet of 60% TDN and 9% CP by 40 days before the first anticipated calf. Such a diet is possible with high quality forage, or some moderate forage plus 2 lbs. of grain. At calving, BCS* should be equal to 3.5 on the 1 to 5 system. As always, ensure proper mineral supplementation.
Post Calving Nutrition – To maximise calf growth and re-breeding, attention must be given to nutrition. Energy and protein deprived cows (BCS less than 2.5) are less likely to cycle early, and less likely to conceive and retain early pregnancies. The better the nutrition from calving to breeding, the better the calf crop next year. A greater number of fertile cows early in the breeding season means more calves born as a group next year. Shoot for a BCS of 3 at breeding by staying on a diet of about 60% TDN and 9.5% CP or more. Often, well-managed pasture will do.
TDN = total digestible nutrient
CP = crude protein
BCS = body condition score
| Top of Page |
For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
Email: [email protected]
msscamp":ydrl3yb1 said:
That's true...I'd forgotten about quality of hay. I'm used to seeing beef folks near me feed poor quality hay (or even straw), and most of the folks on the boards feed some sort of grass, and in those cases I think you'd agree it should be free choice. In fact, I don't think any of the beef folks nearby me feed rich hay; everything's been rained on at least once (in the field or baled) and the stuff I've seen has been 1st-2nd crop and stemmy.
Boss has had some heifers with huge calves if they go on high-quality alfalfa silage a few weeks prior to calving in preparation for entering the milking herd. And that's just silage, no grain. Forgotten about that. Sorry.
buckaroo_bif
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