FFA Project Heifer, Your Opinions Please!

[FFACOWGIRL]

I am in a vo-ag school and have a 3 month old simmy/holstien heifer and a 8 month old simmental heifer. My origional throught was that i was going to breed the older one this nov. and have a calf next fall. My concern is that the 8 month heifer is only 450lbs. right now. :???: I was told when i bought her that her mother was the tallest cow they have owned. They also said she was a small calf. Is it possible because she may be larger framed that she will mature slower? She has been on pasture and hay with 2lbs of 16% grain a day. and a mineral block(that she visits frequently). Do i have all the bases covered or should i supplement her with somthing else? :???: Thanks, any info is apreciated. I know she is not perfect but she is a good starting point for me in my price range. :banana:

 

[cjpherford3]

IS THAT THE 8 MONTH OLD HEIFER, SHE KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A RUNT, YOU WONT BE ABLE TO BREED HER TILL SHE GROWS A LOT AT LEAST WHEN SHE GETS TO OR OVER 800LBS, I WOULD HAVE HER ON SOME GRAIN AND WORM HER HOW BIG IS THE 3 MONTH OLD? CJ

 

[KNERSIE]

I wouldn't breed her any lighter than 750lbs or any younger than 14 months. That means she needs to gain 300lbs in 6 months, that is very doable on good pasture alone and with a little supplement like your doing now you'll easily reach breeding weight by end of November.

She doesn't look like a runt to me, her dam just probably didn't milk very well for some or other reason. Compensatory gain will also kick in with the spring flush.

 

[FFACOWGIRL]

I have also heard that fall calves are at a disadvantage because they don't get the fresh spring grass as a late winter/spring calf would have. Could this be part of the reason? She is eating well and is probably getting close to just under three pounds of 16% a day. I have not been able to worm her because he is not very halter broken and we were trying to let her settle down in this new place before we cornered her. She is becoming more trusting each day though so we are getting closer. She ran down to the gate when i came to feed her this morning. I will try to take and post a picture of the 3 month old soon!

 

[tlmcr]

Regardless of her size she looks like a nice heifer. My experience has been fall calves are a little smaller at weaning but really take off on the spring grass. Use a proven low birth weight bull if you can when you breed her. Good luck.

 

[htrc]

I wonder about changing her feed to a heifer developer ration and up the amount. Talk with someone where you buy feed to see what they have available. I also think you should consider giving her some something like Probios or Fasttrack to help her rumen
use the feed you put in her better. I think she will make a good project for you. You may be looking at letting her grow a while longer and breeding her as a two year old.

 

[bigbull338]

shes a nice looking heifer.but my eyes tell me shes pretty small.id put her on good feed.an let her grow some more.an i wouldnt breed her till spring 2009.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have also heard that fall calves are at a disadvantage because they don't get the fresh spring grass as a late winter/spring calf would have.

My experience is the opposite for cold climate cattle in my environment. The calves actually get more milk and the cows don't decline. If you are really concerned, you can rotate them on and off small pastures of wheat, oats, rye etc.

 

[FFACOWGIRL]

I would rotate pasture but i sadly do not have the pastures to rotate. The two heifers are on a three acre pasture. Dring the day i take the three month old out and let her mow the lawn. She moves around on a crow bar and chain. So the 8 month old is in view but has the grass in the pasture to herself. I would say she is about 500lbs and 8 1/2 to 9 months now. Owner not sure of her exact birth date, just that she was a august 07 calf. She was born small. I have concidered putting her on a growth supplement with her grain. what would you recomend? Thanks for the replies.

 

[Brandonm22]

I am thinking that slowly doubling the grain too 4 lbs a day might help. How big are this guys cows???? She might just be real small framed. I can remember back when we had 400 wt heifers at weaning. Breeding them at 650 lbs was ideal. This could be either a stunted calf OR she might be close to where she needs to be. I can't tell from the pic. Do you have a pic of the dam????

 

[Anonymous]

she looks dwarfish to me. another possibility is she was a premmy

 

[FFACOWGIRL]

This ladys cattle are not perticularly small by any means. She runs 40 head of shorthorn and simmental. I was told that her dam was the tallest cow she had. She is not under wheight in terms of conditoning, Just small framed. She is doing good on the spring grass and i don't think she should have a problem cetching up to breeding wheight in 6 months. She is very healthy, and SASSY. She is on 3lbs of grain a day.