Feeding the last month of pregnancy

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Anonymous

A lot of the people I have talked to around home (IN) have told me to cut back on the food one month before the cows calf. That all the, as lack for better words, food will go to the calf and make it get big and hard for the cow to have. Then on the other hand, everthing I read says they need more. Now I am talking about some guys that have doing this for some years. Is this just an old wise tale? What do some of you all have to say about this? It seams the more I learn the more there is to know! Thanks and, MERRY CHRISTMAS to you all.
 
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

> A lot of the people I have talked
> to around home (IN) have told me
> to cut back on the food one month
> before the cows calf. That all
> the, as lack for better words,
> food will go to the calf and make
> it get big and hard for the cow to
> have. Then on the other hand,
> everthing I read says they need
> more. Now I am talking about some
> guys that have doing this for some
> years. Is this just an old wise
> tale? What do some of you all have
> to say about this? It seams the
> more I learn the more there is to
> know! Thanks and, MERRY CHRISTMAS
> to you all.
 
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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indeed,

cows, and certainly heifers need all the strength they can get when they are going to be calving. the calf will get all the food it needs anyways, so that if you underfeed the cow, she will get weaker by the day, and may not find the strength to calve.

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