feeding heifers

[B&M Farms]

Im weaning 8 brangus heifers 7 months old weighing about 525 to 550lbs to breed in the fall. I will be feeding a bulk feed with 14 percent protein and 5 percent fat. They will be on coastal bahia mixed pasture. I have heard about udder problems overfeeding heifers. Would 3 to 4 pounds a day be too much? Im thinking i may have been overfeeding heifers in the past.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Feeding anything requires "the eye of the master". Only you can determine if you are feeding too little or too much.
Rule of thumb, you start them out at 1% of their body weight & increase to 3%. But, after (or before) you reach 3%, you may decide they are in good enough BCS and don't need that much - or they are too lean & need more.
At 7 months of age and weighing 525-550 sounds light to me - but I'm not familiar with your breed - and cattle in the South weigh less than they do in the Northeast. They must be July born?? so mid summer born in Texas, they probably have done well. Breeding them in the fall, are you purposely shooting for a July calving date again?

 

[TexasBred]

Im weaning 8 brangus heifers 7 months old weighing about 525 to 550lbs to breed in the fall. I will be feeding a bulk feed with 14 percent protein and 5 percent fat. They will be on coastal bahia mixed pasture. I have heard about udder problems overfeeding heifers. Would 3 to 4 pounds a day be too much? Im thinking i may have been overfeeding heifers in the past.

Feed them in the short run but it will be warm in your area pretty soon. Put them in a well fertilized pasture of good grass and let them graze. You'll be surprized at how they will bloom. Avoid summer calving in Texas.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

"Avoid summer calving in Texas."
That's kinda what I thought.

 

[B&M Farms]

I figure most of my cows weigh around 1200 just by what ive culled lately. Sold steers averaging around 600 at 7 months. Im happy with that. Figuring these heifers a little less. They may be closer to 600. I run a bull year round but start a new one around dec for fall calving and cull every cow that doesnt have a calf in a year. Some cows will gain and in a few years they get spread out. Started a herford last dec. I probably should wait til dec to put these heifers back into the herd. That will put them at 17 to 18 months old. Will fertilized grass get them to to a target weight of 800 to 900 and just feed while haying?

 

[TexasBred]

You'll have 100 days of really good grazing and another 30 of mediocre grazing. They might not get quite as heavy as you'd like but I wouldn't push them. Let'um grow UP not out.