Skinny heifer

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colleen

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Winnie, TX
What is the best thing to feed a "1st calf heifer" that is looking skinny and needs some extra help. We are In southeast Tx. We give 14% cubes and 12% sweet feed and of course pasture. But I mean something that is going to boost and help her? Is cracked corn a good supplemental feed?? Would alfalfa hay be too rich for her? Just need some ideas. And something we can purchase in our area....
Thanks!
Colleen
 
If she's not making it on all that you don't want her. Assuming she has plenty of pasture
 
Maybe go to 20% cubes, 1% of her body weight in sweet feed, and the pasture. And then sell her when your market tops out
 
Give her a chance, if she was mine I would start out by giving her a good dose of wormer, either pour on or injectable, I prefer injectable. Give her 60 days and go from there. Also she is a first calf heifer so she has plenty of work to do she is still growing, again give her a chance. It sounds like she is getting plenty of protein, is she getting all the grass or hay she needs? My thoughts are if she needs wormed do it, keep up with the protein and make sure she has all the hay or grass she needs, I'm old and can't remember how to spell the word I'm looking for but hay and grass covers the word.

Alan
 
Hey Alan we did worm her the first of April. we alternate pour on and injection. This was injection time but they showed not to have any liver flukes, so we went the easy way out and did pour on. My husband is regretting that. It is better, so We are gona do another fecal on her just to make sure she is clear. She is a great heifer. Her problem are her teeth! She didn't get her 2 yr old teeth till about last month or so. And I still only feel 2 teeth in the front. So that put her behind. She was 2 in January. We need to take the calf off her but she is only 2 months so we would like to try and give her some extras to boost her. Someone said cracked corn but we don't know anything about that. Have you ever used it. Thanks for the advice.
 
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Forage is the word maybe. We may have to get some special hay for her. But all they had was alfalfa. Is that too rich if they arnt used to it? We don't want to get anymore big rd. bales because they didn't finish the last one but they had sq. bales of alfalfa at tractor supply.
 
Do you have access to DDGs? When we show cow calf pairs, the cow often gets DDGs to keep her from showing rib. Works great on getting weight on a cow. We get it wet before we feed it, and the cows eat it like candy! And it is a lot cheaper than grain mixes.
 
colleen":rjnsc9or said:
I don't know what that is but I will definitly check into it! Thank you.
Click to expand...

Dried Distillers Grain - it is a corn byproduct that comes in a 50 pound sack, and is dry and like a coarse powder. That is why we mix it with water, to keep it from blowing away and making it easier for the cows to eat. They love it, since it is fermented and has a beer smell to it! Out here, 100 pounds is around $12, but it has been several months since we needed it.
 
colleen":2w1z3q8l said:
Hey Alan we did worm her the first of April. we alternate pour on and injection. This was injection time but they showed not to have any liver flukes, so we went the easy way out and did pour on. My husband is regretting that. It is better, so We are gona do another fecal on her just to make sure she is clear. She is a great heifer. Her problem are her teeth! She didn't get her 2 yr old teeth till about last month or so. And I still only feel 2 teeth in the front. So that put her behind. She was 2 in January. We need to take the calf off her but she is only 2 months so we would like to try and give her some extras to boost her. Someone said cracked corn but we don't know anything about that. Have you ever used it. Thanks for the advice.
Click to expand...

Well I'd say maybe its a toss up if she will make a good cow. I've had some in the past that were just lanky and didn't fill out like I would have expected. Still they raised a good calf each year. So I'll start with asking about her breed makeup....maybe she is all she can be because of her genetics. Maybe she IS behind because of teeth problems which I'll ask, is this a trait you want to send to her offspring?

If you are going to give her a chance....
2-300 lbs calves are bringing just about enough to pay her expenses for the year unless you start pouring "extra" expense in a feed trough. I think I'd sell the calf. If she doesn't start to show improvement quickly and get to where she should, I'd be looking to trader her in on a better model around September or October.
 
Well she won't eat nothing but a few 20% cubes and a little sweet feed. I went and bought 18% feed for dairy and lactating cows. Wouldn't touch it! But she isn't very hungry, she is running a fever now. So we have the vet coming out tomorrow.
I'm sort of confused about how they lose their baby teeth and get 2 nd set at about age 2. She turned 2 in February. She has 2 middle teeth in front and 3 on each side of those. But they are not out yet. Can just see the top of them. And no teething the back at all. Does that sound right?

Colleen
 
I see. what about back teeth? She stayed out back grazing with the others all day. Called them up this evening, separated her and gave her the food. Temp was 104. Can't see anything at all except she is thinner than she should be. I did notice her breath smelled a little rancid-like. thought it was her ear so i looked and stuck my fingers in both her ears. They looked ok to me. Her bag looks ok. No coughing , no runny nose. And her poop looks just fine also!
 

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