If fed grass only she will not breed?

[lancemart]

If I just fed grass to my Holstein some have said I will not be able to breed her. Is that true?
How many pounds of grain should I be feeding her
I plan to feed her next July (2007)
I have to feed her separately she gets push out of the feed bunk.
I will be feeding round bales (2nd cut) in a few months.
Should I be feeding her alfalfa?
I need help as you can see.

 

[milkmaid]

If I just fed grass to my Holstein some have said I will not be able to breed her. Is that true?

False.

How many pounds of grain should I be feeding her

Under normal circumstances, 1-2% of her body weight. Whatever that is. Under abnormal circumstances, perhaps more (like no pasture and you only have grass hay), or less (she's running on rich alfalfa pasture).

I plan to feed her next July (2007)

I assume you mean "breed", not "feed"? :lol: ;-) If so, she'd be what, 17 or 18 months of age? A properly fed dairy heifer can be bred long before that. Mine are bred as yearlings. And I don't mean long-yearlings, I mean 12 month olds.

Again, as I said in the last post, you go by WEIGHT, not AGE. National average is 1.8lb ADG. Some folks get less - 1 to 1.5lbs. I get more - 2 to 3lb ADG. A calf really only has to do 2.11 pounds per day to make breeding weight as a yearling.

I have to feed her separately she gets push out of the feed bunk.
I will be feeding round bales (2nd cut) in a few months.
Should I be feeding her alfalfa?

I would. I almost never feed my dairy heifers grass hay. They just don't grow right on it. 3rd cutting alfalfa is my favorite - if I can get it.

I need help as you can see.

Not a problem - hope I answered your questions - if you have anything more come to mind feel free to ask. Best of luck to you.

 

[milkmaid]

Lancemart -- here's a portion of my herd on pasture the other evening. I assure you I wouldn't have them eating the green stuff on the ground if I wouldn't be able to breed them in the spring because of it.

 

[lancemart]

Lancemart -- here's a portion of my herd on pasture the other evening. I assure you I wouldn't have them eating the green stuff on the ground if I wouldn't be able to breed them in the spring because of it.

I am getting a pickup truck of corn stalks (corn still on the stalks) daily. Is that good forage ? Should I give them hay also?
I have been feeding her 2lbs of feed in the am and 1 lb in the pm.

 

[milkmaid]

Lancemart -- here's a portion of my herd on pasture the other evening. I assure you I wouldn't have them eating the green stuff on the ground if I wouldn't be able to breed them in the spring because of it.

I am getting a pickup truck of corn stalks (corn still on the stalks) daily. Is that good forage ? Should I give them hay also?
I have been feeding her 2lbs of feed in the am and 1 lb in the pm.

Only corn (other than like grain) I've even dealt with is like silage -- cut on the stalk, ground, and stacked. So I honestly don't know the answer to your question, but I'm sure someone else will know.

As to the grain -- question is what does she weigh. 3lbs per day is 1% of the body weight of a 300lb calf. Is that what she weighs? If so, that's the low end of what she should be getting per day.

 

[somn]

Is the heifer a free martin or not. What you feed her makes no difference.

 

[Wewild]

Is the heifer a free martin or not. What you feed her makes no difference.

What makes you think it might be a free martin? Where did that come from?

 

[somn]

I don't think a person would spend that much money on a heifer without knowing what or how to feed it? Disregard this post I got my answer on another post they have running.

 

[msscamp]

I don't think a person would spend that much money on a heifer without knowing what or how to feed it?

It happens every day of the week, pretty much.

 

[Susie David]

You got some great advise from our resident holstein expert.
Sounds like you are shooting for some fat cattle...we get 2.5 ADG year around without any grain until finsihing and this season we are grass finishing a few just to compare carcasses.
The grass candidates are 7+ on pasture and some alfalfa.
DMc

 

[lancemart]

Is the heifer a free martin or not. What you feed her makes no difference.

She is not a free martin

 

[milkmaid]

You got some great advise from our resident holstein expert.
Sounds like you are shooting for some fat cattle...we get 2.5 ADG year around without any grain until finsihing and this season we are grass finishing a few just to compare carcasses.
The grass candidates are 7+ on pasture and some alfalfa.
DMc

Thanks.

As far as them being fat -- no, I'm just trying to grow frame. They're a BCS of 3-4 (on the dairy scale of 1-5). Fat cover is easy enough to put on later, but if they're not tall enough/large enough to cycle and breed on schedule, then the grain feeding has been a waste of time and money.