Heifer won't eat.. HELP

[herefordhandler16]

I have a march of 2013 heifer that I'm going to show this summer, i just got her in the lot and I haven't started breaking her yet. She's been fed creep feed and other feed with other cows when she was weened just fine, and I started giving her Purina show feed yesterday and she will not hardly touch it! What do I do!

 

[SPH]

Is she getting any kind of forage and loading up on that possibly? You may need to put some mineral supplement out to help her appetite, check with your vet or local extension office and they could probably recommend something. You can also try to sweeten up the feed possibly, we used to buy beet pulp and soak it in molasses water then mix it in with the corn and oats grain we fed our show heifers. Not only does that help give them a little more volume but they love that sweet taste too.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I am pretty sure purina already has molasses in it. Being a complete feed, I would also be hesitate to add extra minerals. I use Probios. You can start with putting the paste in her mouth, then when she starts eating, put the powder in her food. It seems to really increase their appetite. They also do much better in twos. Like feeding two pigs together.

 

[Nesikep]

It might take her a while to get the taste of it... depending on where you are and what's available, if you have her corralled up where she can't eat grass, put some on her hay and in the bottom of her feed trough... She'll want to lick the leaves of the hay up and get some of it, and after she chews cud she might find it tastes pretty good. And the more you animals are together, the better they'll do, which is a reason I like to keep 4-5 calves a year since when one goes to eat, the others will follow

 

[bigbull338]

ok yall are missing it.the heifer is used to eating creep feed and the feed they feed their cows.the poster changed feeds on her.the feed needs tobe mixed with the creep or cow feed to get the heifer to eating the new feed.

 

[branguscowgirl]

ok yall are missing it.the heifer is used to eating creep feed and the feed they feed their cows.the poster changed feeds on her.the feed needs tobe mixed with the creep or cow feed to get the heifer to eating the new feed.

:bang: I assumed they did that. (There I go assuming!)

 

[bigbull338]

branguscowgirl i never assume anything on cattletoday.

 

[shortybreeder]

Transition from her previous feed to the new feed at a rate of 25% every 2 days, but if the manure gets too runny then slow down and give them 4 days to a week for the 25% increase.

 

[dieselbeef]

gotta wean em onto it..or it could be a much higher protien than the creep prior and is upsetting her appetite for it.
our feeds smell diff due to the citrus base and sometimes im told ows dont like it..given time they like it just fine...