As always, I couldn't have said it any better! Dun has 40 years experience and all the Univ research is now agreeing. Cattle fed poorly during their last trimester have more calving difficulties & weaker calves - no matter what body condition they are in compared to another cow in the same body condition fed properly (gainly weight) during the last trimester. FEED HER! 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/heifer.
> Unless the cow/heifer is getting
> really fat, cutting her back can
> cause difficulty calving because
> of low energy on the cow/heifers
> part, poor quality or quantity of
> cholostrum, weak calf, cow/heifer
> to be starting a negative body
> condition just when she needs to
> be in about the best condition she
> can be in. Of course we've only
> been doing this for 40 plus years,
> but we always feed them so thy are
> gaining a little condition the
> last couple of months. We haven't
> pulled a calf of our own since
> '79, and that was a heifer we
> bought that was supposed to be
> bred to an angus but was actually
> bred to a charolais. If you used a
> bull that throws the proper size
> calf for the size/calving ability
> of the cow/heifer there shouldn't
> be problems unless you have a
> malpresentation or other none
> controllable situation. If you
> didn't use the proper size bull,
> underfeeding the cow sure isn't
> going to make up for it, a pound
> or two extra calf weight isn't
> going to correct that mistake.
> dun
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