Angus Cowman"
You also have to figure that the hfrs aren't on the same nutritional plane as the cows as the hfr is still trying to grow herself[/quote:19eviouy said:
I have a couple whopper calves out of heifers but these are exceptions. These heavy milking heifers are not growing much, and I think they will become small cows. Heavy milking hiefers could be a factor in the small cow/bigger profit theory.[/quote]
Maybe?? but in my experience most heavy milking hfrs that draw down usually wind up being harder keeping cows as they tend to suck down every yr although they raise a big calve but they seem to be the ones that breed back later and later or will slip a calf especially with mine calving in the fall and having to carry that calf and the one at her side all winter
I have alot of respect for SRBeef and he has some nice cows but one thing he needs to remember is that he is running his cows to a creep feeder (standing corn) during the winter and what works for his intensely managed herd won't always work in a normal situation under normal management
He also talks about larger cows having a higher intake that is not always true the only true way to determine that is to fence of several parcels with the same acreage and tons of forage and place 1 cow per section and see which cow runs out of forage the fastest and then you would have an answerr although it would still not be 100% accurate all the time on every cow
in a normal environment a hfr should never be held to the same standards as a mature cow
AC - I appreciate the kind words. I should also probably not spout off about
anything here given my meager experience, especially with heifers. Re-reading some of my statements above it sounds like I know more than I really do.
My weaning got pushed back a few days by the snow and cold rain from its schedule today. I will take a look at my numbers and compare heifer performance this year to the 2nd and 3rd calf cows when I get things entered. I am way out of my expertise in the comment about heifer ww ratios above.
I do want to clarify something about the grazing corn - since last fall I noticed some things I did not like such as hooves growing to fast etc, I am no longer allowing ANY retained cattle, heifers, cows or bull to graze standing corn. The grazing of unharvested corn will be for steers and non-retained heifers to be harvested in late April only. I have come to look at the corn as a home-grown feedlot.
If I had some HARVESTED corn stalks nearby I would certainly not hesitate to put cows, retained heifers and bull(s) on those stalks but I do not. Retained cattle are on hay and mineral only all winter until greenup about May 1. The herd is still cleaning up remaining paddocks and what grazing the woods provide along with some year-old hay bales in feeders. Jim
