Replacement Heifer winter feeding

[Jrebyank]

What are are you guys feeding replacements. I want to build good frame but not break the bank at the same time.

 

[wbvs58]

I wean them at the end of summer, they go onto dry winter grass and are supplemented with a grain mix 14% CP, mostly barley and sorghum. I weigh them regularly and aim for about .75 kg gain per day and adjust the feed accordingly.

Ken

 

[Silver]

Mine get the better hay free choice, and I feed them about 3-4 lbs of a ration including but not limited to barley, oats, and Rumensin.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Mine get (0.5%) app 4 lbs of 14% developer with Rumensin and all the grass hay they can eat. Yearling bulls get 1%.

 

[Aaron]

This winter, mine are free choice on good grass hay and premium wrapped 2nd cut alfalfa. Because of the wrapped hay quality I'm not feeding any grain this winter to calves.

Plus all the mineral and salt they need.

Last winter never had wrapped hay, so fed 6 lbs of mixed beef ration (rolled oat/barley/corn/beet pulp/molasses mixture) per head per day.

 

[Texas Gal]

We winter replacement heifers on stock-piled grass, hay, mineral and cubes once a week to keep them handy. Start 'em out like you expect them to hold out. That being said, we're in North Central Texas so we deal with little to no extreme cold and snow. We do have to contend with cold rain, though.

 

[1982vett]

Haven’t kept any back for a number of years now, when I did I kept them in a grass run with a roll of my better hay for a couple weeks after weaning. Also start them on some calf creep graduating them to range cubes as they learn what a feed bag is. After that it’s on to their own pasture, with hay depending on time of year, until turning out with the rest of the cows at about 14 months of age. No hand pampering here....

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Location - location. We all have different feeds available and different needs.
I do not have range cubes available at all.
I have mostly grass hay (baleage) about 15-16% protein - so VERY good. My replacement heifers get full feed baleage and about 5# whole shell corn, high quality mineral and great health program. WSC works for me because of the high protein in my hay. They are turned out on grass when the cows get turned out (late April - 1st of May) (after they are bred). They never get fed grain again as a routine feed. Cows survive on grass & hay.

 

[elkwc]

We normally wean ours and run them on short wheat pasture, free choice wheat hay and Vita Ferm minerals. This year the wheat isn't growing so using what we have for the steers. All the heifers are still together. They are getting a bale of wheat hay and a bale of Alfalfa free choice. Feed 20% cubes once a say. Try to feed 1.5-2 lbs a day and they have grass pasture. They are growing well. The sale heifers will be moved to any remaining wheat after the steers are sold. The replacement heifers will likely remain on the current ration till green grass. We h keep out the Vita Ferm stress tubs and mineral.

 

[gcreekrch]

Grass hay, 7 lbs
Oat, pea and barley silage 6 lbs dry matter basis
Pea screening pellets 3 lbs

Hay and silage through bale processor, pellets top dressed. Hay is 11% protein, silage 5 and pellets 18%+

 

[Bigfoot]

My best hay free choice, and 5-6 pound of DDG/shelled corn. I keep every calf born on the place 90 days past weaning, and they get the same thing.

 

[bvf]

never fed grain sorghum, any words of wisdom, do i just replace a percentage of the corn?
grain fed whole? wet?

 

[Warren Allison]

never fed grain sorghum, any words of wisdom, do i just replace a percentage of the corn?
grain fed whole? wet?

Wouldn't WSC be cheaper in your area? Or are you growing it yourself? I have very little experiencing feeding cattle, but a neighbor feeds out about 3-4000 a year. He raises sorghum, but cuts it for silage. Have never seen him combine any. He mixes that silage with spent beer mash from the Budweiser brewery, chicken litter and cotton seeds form weaning at 6 mos, to about 10 months. He wants more protein for growth at that time. Then at 10 mos, he feeds them out on mostly corn, and the scrap pizza dough from the Dominoes plant ( or some Pizza place) because he wants the carbs for marbling.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Im running mine on stockpiled grass, some which is pretty rough. Figuring 1% bodyweight in commodity feed or corn when they started showing they aren't doing well on the old grass.

I fear getting them too fat. Seems the fat ones here are the ones that dont breed/back.

 

[tater74]

I miss Bigfoot.

 

[bvf]

good question, Alabama redneck usually speaks fast and leaves out some words,
ill try again,, on some rented out land, due to very wet spring the row cropper traded down from corn to grain sorghum, ive got opportunity to buy straight off combine. I'm just searching the foundations of all knowledge, you guys, know more than me,, anybody had any experience with grain sorghum as a percentage of the grain? can i get by w?o grinding? do i need to soak it the night before? in this situation it is cheaper than corn, 600 bushel

 

[Brute 23]

Heifers get fed the same thing the cows get fed. That can vary drastically year to year.
It usually start off with standing forage and molasses. Then rotates to standing forage and wcs. Then to wcs and some hay. Then hopefully hay to some kind of green like winter grass or spring green up.

I have a weaning process that is a week or so where they will get feed and hay to acclimate them to the system and make sure they can be called up. After that through they should winter the same way the cows do so you can get a good test on them.

 

[wbvs58]

If you are buying by volume it is a fairly heavy grain. I often buy a commodity mix to feed at weaning and sometimes the Coop substitutes sorghum for barley. My little silo will fill right up with 4 ton when barley is the main grain but if sorghum has been substituted 4 ton will be well down in the silo. I feed by weight so I have to reweigh my full buckets of feed.

Ken

 

[mwj]

I think the grain needs to be ''cracked'' or ''ground'' to get the most benefit. I have not personally fed it but some folks say that cattle need to be encouraged to consume it.

 

[Dave]

Heifers here get hay. A little more alfalfa than the cows get. But just hay.