Keeping Heifers fresh !?!?!?

[SaNtA ShOwEr]

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone knew of anything to help keep an easfleshing heifer fresh, She is so easy keeping and I am really big on not getting one to fat, but I cant get her cut down and still look good. I would greatly appreciate any help. Everytime I cut her back, she gets stale looking and gets looser hide, I feel like she needs to blown out to keep her skin tight, but is getting to over conditioned and is hurting her in the showring.


If anyone has anything I could try please let me know.



Thanks,
SaNtA ShOwEr

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

Ever feed beet pulp?

 

[showmom33]

Full Tank by Sunglo works well. It provides fill and keeps them fresh looking. Replace aome of your feed with the Full Tank (pelleted beet pulp). Another thing that you can do in the future is to back them off the feed earlier in the game. We have turned heifers out when there are several months between shows. We will put them back on full feed 4 weeks before the show so that they are fresh. I probably would not do this with very young heifers though as it may affect overall growth.

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

Whats the point of paying more for a product that is just a pelleted form of the same thing. It's like paying $200 for a box of oxy-gen when its main ingrediant is wheat germ oil which can be purchased for $12 a gallon at your local feed store.

 

[showmom33]

Whats the point of paying more for a product that is just a pelleted form of the same thing. It's like paying $200 for a box of oxy-gen when its main ingrediant is wheat germ oil which can be purchased for $12 a gallon at your local feed store.

I guess that it is just a personal preference. ;-) I like Tank because it is not as dry and dusty as regular beet pulp and its easier for me to handle. I hate dust!! Good point though!

 

[greatgerts]

Whats the point of paying more for a product that is just a pelleted form of the same thing. It's like paying $200 for a box of oxy-gen when its main ingrediant is wheat germ oil which can be purchased for $12 a gallon at your local feed store.

I guess that it is just a personal preference. ;-) I like Tank because it is not as dry and dusty as regular beet pulp and its easier for me to handle. I hate dust!! Good point though!

You also do not have to mess with the Full Tank as much as beet pult. You don't have to soak it in water for it to expand (spending time waiting for it) and you don't have to handle it as much from putting it in something to soak, then moving it to the feed. I really like it. In just a couple of days, you will see an increase in water consumption as well as hay consumption.

 

[Cowboy 2.0]

The only good you are doing soaking beet pulp is dropping an animal down in their flank. Once you have soaked it, you have let it expand and all its good for then is weight. The the reason a filler is a filler is because they eat it and it expands inside them. If you presoak it is it going to expand inside them? No. What do you think would happen to full tank if you put it in water? It would expand.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I feed regular beet pulp, but, I do put water on it. I don't wait. I immediately feed it. I feed a "stress" mixture that is powdery. By wetting the beet pulp, it doesn't fall to the bottom of the pan.
If you have time inbetween shows. Turn her out with the cows.