I know Omar has had problems calving cows too fat, but the latest research shows that overconditioned cattle may have calves weighing 10# heavier at birth, but that there was less dystocia and calf loss with fat heifers than with thin ones. That being said, extremes either way are bad. You are right, heifers need good nutrition because they are still growing themselves, besides growing a baby and needing to start producing milk, and teething. Body condition score is the best way to determine where your cattle are. I actually prefer my heifers to be 6.5 to 7.5 and my cows around 6 to 7. There is a "science", so to speak, of body scoring, but remember, it's in the eye of the beholder. You don't want them globby fat, and you don't want them thin. Jeanne <A HREF="http://www.SimmeValley.com" TARGET="_blank">http://www.SimmeValley.com</A>
> Rule #1, you can't underfeed a
> small calf out of a cow. That
> said, over feeding of feeds that
> contribute to fat deposits can
> cause calving problems by having
> too much fat deposit in the repro.
> tract, it can cause poor muscle
> tone and I'm sure a bunch of other
> related problems. Heifers need the
> best quality of the proper
> quantity feed they can get. Body
> Condition Score (BCS) is the best
> method we currently have that can
> keep them in the proper condition
> for calving, breeding back and
> just generally being healthy. I
> like heifers to be around BCS 6 to
> 6.5 and cows around 5.5 to 6 at
> calving. My preferences, others
> make like them higher or lower.
> The problem is, they will loose
> condition much quicker then you
> can put it back on.
> dunmovin farms
[email protected]