Heifer vs steers

[fnfarms1]

So this year we have sold 8 steers, kept a 1/2 for ourselves and still have a 1/2 to sell. So 9 steers fed out and butchered as of Aug18 when these last 6 go. Our butcher steers always come from our calf crop. Plan has been to grow the business to 10-12 steers a year.I’ve always butchered steers with the exception of one first calver that prolapsed, fattened her and butchered.
This year we had 70% heifers so not sure I’ll have 10+steers to keep. I’ve always felt heifers didn’t grow fast enough and put fat on to fast. I know genetics play into this. How much longer do you plan to feed a heifer vs a steer?

 

[SBMF 2015]

So this year we have sold 8 steers, kept a 1/2 for ourselves and still have a 1/2 to sell. So 9 steers fed out and butchered as of Aug18 when these last 6 go. Our butcher steers always come from our calf crop. Plan has been to grow the business to 10-12 steers a year.I've always butchered steers with the exception of one first calver that prolapsed, fattened her and butchered.
This year we had 70% heifers so not sure I'll have 10+steers to keep. I've always felt heifers didn't grow fast enough and put fat on to fast. I know genetics play into this. How much longer do you plan to feed a heifer vs a steer?

You don’t feed them longer. You feed them differently.
Hfrs need more time to grow frame. So you don’t push them as hard to begin with. And they will put on finish faster so they need less time at that 2% feeding rate.
Most hfrs will finish smaller than a str.

 

[fnfarms1]

You don't feed them longer. You feed them differently.
Hfrs need more time to grow frame. So you don't push them as hard to begin with. And they will put on finish faster so they need less time at that 2% feeding rate.
Most hfrs will finish smaller than a str.

Heifers that we keep for replacements I like to supplement them with protein ie. cubes and grain but in moderation. Not more than 5lbs each every other day or 2-3lbs daily. Just depends on my schedule at that time. Feeding them is more about development and training them to a feed bucket. Easier to handle later.
When I first started heifers got kicked out with cows. Since then I’m seeing the benefits to supplementing them through 2nd breeding season. When they calve 2nd time, they’re on their own.

 

[fnfarms1]

Any ideas on an implant or the like that will stop heifers from cycling? The female type not bicycling. lol. Local vet does a lot of embryos and AI, same place took my AI class, they know how to spay but won’t do just 1-2. I’d like to keep couple heifers but everyone says no because every 21ish days their going to disrupt everything and cause the whole pen to lose weight going after them

 

[GoWyo]

Any ideas on an implant or the like that will stop heifers from cycling? The female type not bicycling. lol. Local vet does a lot of embryos and AI, same place took my AI class, they know how to spay but won’t do just 1-2. I’d like to keep couple heifers but everyone says no because every 21ish days their going to disrupt everything and cause the whole pen to lose weight going after them

Feed MGA if they are on feed. That's what feedlots do.

 

[fnfarms1]

Feed MGA if they are on feed. That's what feedlots do.

Great idea except feeding MGA to 10head to “fix” one yeah not cost effective. Cheaper to sell her and buy a steer. Hoping not to do that if there were a “MGA type implant”

 

[regolith]

Early forays into raising heifers (dairybeefx) for beef I decided firstly you don't make any money selling them at the same age as the steers, secondly it's not worth the headache of trying to stop them from breeding. Most dairy farmers would choose to simply not raise heifers... I couldn't say if it's profitable, but I calve beefcross heifers at 24 months, dry them off or pull the calf at 28 months, they're graded prime at 30 months, a full year older than their steer counterparts, make about the same income... and you've got a six month old calf too. If they look big enough precalving I'll send them; prices have changed a lot since the year I got weaner calf price for 22-month heifer beef.
edit: letting them calve means they can be managed exactly the same way as their full dairy counterparts that are to be dairy replacements. Except when their time comes you try and split them into a separate area to run with a beef bull while their dairy sisters run with a Jersey bull. Otherwise we'd have months of teenage heifers testing the fences every cycle and as like as not succeeding in getting pregnant however determined you were to lock them up.

 

[Travlr]

Early forays into raising heifers (dairybeefx) for beef I decided firstly you don't make any money selling them at the same age as the steers, secondly it's not worth the headache of trying to stop them from breeding. Most dairy farmers would choose to simply not raise heifers... I couldn't say if it's profitable, but I calve beefcross heifers at 24 months, dry them off or pull the calf at 28 months, they're graded prime at 30 months, a full year older than their steer counterparts, make about the same income... and you've got a six month old calf too. If they look big enough precalving I'll send them; prices have changed a lot since the year I got weaner calf price for 22-month heifer beef.
edit: letting them calve means they can be managed exactly the same way as their full dairy counterparts that are to be dairy replacements. Except when their time comes you try and split them into a separate area to run with a beef bull while their dairy sisters run with a Jersey bull. Otherwise we'd have months of teenage heifers testing the fences every cycle and as like as not succeeding in getting pregnant however determined you were to lock them up.

I hear a lot of European systems do something similar with double muscled cross heifers, getting a true double muscled calf in the bargain.

I did a feasibility study with a similar idea for American producers in the '80s and tried to talk the idea up, but never got any traction. McDonalds should have been interested, and perhaps Tysons, but they never got the vision. The University that gave me computer time was very excited though...

 

[fnfarms1]

Early forays into raising heifers (dairybeefx) for beef I decided firstly you don't make any money selling them at the same age as the steers, secondly it's not worth the headache of trying to stop them from breeding. Most dairy farmers would choose to simply not raise heifers... I couldn't say if it's profitable, but I calve beefcross heifers at 24 months, dry them off or pull the calf at 28 months, they're graded prime at 30 months, a full year older than their steer counterparts, make about the same income... and you've got a six month old calf too. If they look big enough precalving I'll send them; prices have changed a lot since the year I got weaner calf price for 22-month heifer beef.
edit: letting them calve means they can be managed exactly the same way as their full dairy counterparts that are to be dairy replacements. Except when their time comes you try and split them into a separate area to run with a beef bull while their dairy sisters run with a Jersey bull. Otherwise we'd have months of teenage heifers testing the fences every cycle and as like as not succeeding in getting pregnant however determined you were to lock them up.

So your saying keep em, breed em, calve em, raise calf to 4mths-ish, fatten em, and butcher em? Not crazy but never thought of it

 

[Dave]

So your saying keep em, breed em, calve em, raise calf to 4mths-ish, fatten em, and butcher em? Not crazy but never thought of it

I knew a guy 30+ years ago doing that. He kept 100% of his heifers. At that 4 month cut off he decided which ones he wanted to keep as replacements. The rest got their calves weaned, fattened up, and shipped to the plant. He was running about 300 cows so you know it wasn't one or two heifers. The 30 month rule would probably catch you now.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Most people I know that feed heifers spay them.

 

[Travlr]

Most people I know that feed heifers spay them.

I've seen some really crappy heifers spayed and they turned around and finished like they were a lot better cattle. It was kind of amazing.

 

[ClinchValley86]

So your saying keep em, breed em, calve em, raise calf to 4mths-ish, fatten em, and butcher em? Not crazy but never thought of it

Ivw done that quite a few times the last few years with the ones that wouldnt rebreed. Albeit theyre closer to three and 4 years. Works out great for me. The one few weeks back hung at 859 on grass alone. Open after 2 calves. Seems if theyll breed past the 2nd calf they hang around here a bit. Im trying to get to where they all get a chance to breed.

Dang if only 15% were heifers this year. Hoped itd be a way to grow numbers quickly, hopefully better split next year. He breeds em quick i guess, right? Or catching them late?

 

[ClinchValley86]

DBL Post

 

[ClinchValley86]

Most people I know that feed heifers spay them.

I tried asking my vet to do that 5 or 6 years back, best I recall he acted like it was a wild request or expensive or something.

Would make the most sense.

 

[mwj]

I think vets that spay are few and far between in a lot of the country. Hard to stay in practice for a handful a year. The areas where it is common, do larger nos and go thru them like preg checking cows.

 

[Dave]

About 4 or 5 years ago we spayed over 300 heifers. Cost $5 a head and he did about 50 an hour. It was a real production. I had about 30 head in the mix. They were contracted to a feedlot and we made pretty good money on them.

 

[wbvs58]

I think vets that spay are few and far between in a lot of the country. Hard to stay in practice for a handful a year. The areas where it is common, do larger nos and go thru them like preg checking cows.

Yep it is a specialised skill.

Ken