First Bred Heifer

[TxBull]

Looking for advice: I have a 22 mo. beefmaster 2 months bred to a 5 yr old registered beefmaster bull. This is my first time out and am doing this as a hobby. In the morning I feed her 2 lbs local feed store mix w/amaferm mixxed in and 2 lbs perina stocker pellets. In the evening she gets 3 lbs range cubes. Not much grass left to graze on except winter rye I seeded. She has prarie grass hay bale as well.
My question is minerals;
I provide her with trace minerals and a mineral cube from the local tracktor supply but she touches neither. Should I be concerned? I was putting 2 oz trace mineral in her feed once a week but started thinking that may not be a good idea.

Thanks
Dave

 

[angie1]

I would say it was a good idea not to mix the minerals in with her feed. I would not be concerned that she is not using the mineral you have set out for her, she knows whether or not she needs it, and I am thinking there is supplement in the feed you are giving her. I would caution you to watch her condition, becoming over wieght due to the feed she is recieving would be a bigger concern for me in regard to her health and the health of her calf. My experience is mostly with herf and herfX, I know they would get fat on that diet.

This is just a stab at an answer. Maybe someone else can give you something more difinitive, I am unfamiliar with you area and do not know enough yet about beefmasters.

 

[snickers]

I would also be concerned about her and the baby getting to fat. we had hereford breed by a pb simmetal and out of 22 head they got to 5 gal. buckets of shelled corn just during winter and that spring we had nothing but big calves over 100# that had to be pulled, 2 c sections that didn't make it and the following year they weren't fed the corn and they did fine so I'd recommend watching how much you are feeding your heifer.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If your heifer is in good Body Condition Score (BCS), I also agree that you are overfeeding her grain - unless the hay has absolutely no feed value.
Here's a link to BCS:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/beef/400-795/photos1-9.html
If she is under 5.5 BCS, you might continue feeding her that much thru winter, than just good grass should be enough for her next summer.
Mineral is very important for cattle and they normally crave it. If she is not eating it, I would "summize" she does not like what you are feeding her. Some mineral is not palatable. See if the feed mill would "sell" / "give" you a scoop of another brand and test that out.

 

[[Bez]]

Essentially she is on straight hay from the sound of it plus a little scrounge.

Get your hay tested.

Testing hay is cheap, easy and the key to knowing what you are really and truly giving the animal.

If the animal is healthy and in good shape then all is well.

If the hay is better than 9% protein - provide your animal with free choice loose mineral.

Hay, water and mineral - nothing more is required for the next 5 months.

Regards

[Bez]

 

[TexasBred]

Tx how many acres of the winter rye does she have to graze?? Did you fertilize it when you planted it?? If so all she needs to supplement her diet is that prairie hay and some mineral. Probably wouldn't hurt to buy some high mag mineral (10% magnesium minimum). Feed her a few cubes from time to time just for fun. (very few).

 

[kypops]

I have 2 Hereford bred heifers by angus 22mo old. WE are new to this .they look great to us. Here is what we feed them.2 1/2 #of grain 2/3 cracked corn and 1/3 seat feed
And unlimted Hay. and lose minerals. my hay is from BeefMaster. and they love it.and lots of clean water, and shelters
thanks for any info


kypops

 

[msscamp]

Looking for advice: I have a 22 mo. beefmaster 2 months bred to a 5 yr old registered beefmaster bull. This is my first time out and am doing this as a hobby. In the morning I feed her 2 lbs local feed store mix w/amaferm mixxed in and 2 lbs perina stocker pellets. In the evening she gets 3 lbs range cubes. Not much grass left to graze on except winter rye I seeded. She has prarie grass hay bale as well.
My question is minerals;
I provide her with trace minerals and a mineral cube from the local tracktor supply but she touches neither. Should I be concerned? I was putting 2 oz trace mineral in her feed once a week but started thinking that may not be a good idea.

Thanks
Dave

You're overfeeding her, and it could cause problems come calving time. I'm not a big believer in mixing mineral into the feed, nor am I a fan of 'trace' minerals because they are just that - trace! Get a bag of good loose mineral that is formulated for your area, and give her access to it 24/7/365. Quit guessing, get your hay tested so you know what is lacking, and you will know what to feed her in addition to the hay to make sure she has a good, nutritionally sound diet.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Hate to admit it, but we rarely test our forage (and hubby takes test samples for his customers all the time!). You can tell if they are getting the right amount of protein by their manure piles. The higher the protein the looser/runnier the manure -- the lower the protein the harder/thicker the manure. (gotta give them about 7 days of suttle diet change to "really" be able to "read" the paddies) Cows on hay should drop a pile of manure that settles down into a "paddy". If the manure is coming out like horse turds - they are either dehydraded or the protein is NOT sufficient. Cattle can starve to death, knee deep in grass or hay if it does not have the nutrients needed.
Noone can tell you how much grain you need to be feeding. If you have good hay, and she is in good BCS, she should only need hay. If your hay/grass is poor, suppliment her. If her TOTAL diet is "just right" as far as total protein intake, she will not grow her calf any bigger than normal.