Feeding first calf heifers

[George Monk]

Does anyone feed extra feed to first calf heifers to help the heifer maintain BCS and help the calf's weining weight? Do you feel it may help with the milk production from the momma?

 

[Rod]

I'm sure I'll catch all kinds of it from this post but I DO feed first calf heifers. A first calf heifer is still growing and has to produce all kinds of milk for this new thing she now has by her side. They must keep up their condition as well for the immune system to function properaly and as well the reproduction system. Granted some do better than others but as a whole I feel they ought to be supplimented. Each year I buy a couple hundred pairs and this is the way I set up for them: I put creep feeders out for the calves, by doing this you accomplish two things, this takes some burden of their momma's and it gets the calves to a selling weight quicker which in turn enables you wean quicker and allow the mamma's to pick back up. Secoundly we feed the momma cows each day, amounts depending on time of year and pasture condition of course. I keep them up in good shape and they rebreed faster which allows me to get them back on the market as a heavy breed quicker. This is what works for me, I 've tried it the other way and just didn't like the way things turned out. Best of luck!

 

[George Monk]

thanks Rod
I think along the same lines.

 

[Frankie]

We don't normally feed first calf heifers. Depending on forage, some years we do. In October last year we bought a couple of bred heifers. One was already thin, so we're feeding her. The other one is almost fat, but we're feeding her, too, to keep the thin one company. The fatter one is already cycling; we put a CIDER in the thinner one. I don't know if we'll get her bred back or not. When they start nursing a calf, they can drop condition pretty quick. If you can make it work, I think it's a good idea.