Supplementing Bred Heifers

[Hasbeen]

Well, I've spent a year reading, listening and learning from this site and anyplace else I could get information. I formed my plan, put the bull with the girls and now I'm 6-8 weeks away from my first crop of calves and starting to doubt some of the decisions I made. My latest is supplementing feed for cold weather. Last winter I fed 2 lbs. of feed daily to each heifer in addition to all the free choice hay they wanted until the grass came in last spring. This year I decided to go with hay only until after they calve to minimize the chances of having too large a calf. All are due between 02/01 and 02/13 (plus or minus ten days). My opinion, and that of everyone else who has seen them, is that they are going into the winter in excellent condition. I watched the first calf crop from the bull they're bred to grow up and they were 50-60 lbs at birth but gained very well and were nice looking calves at 6 mos. old. Winters here are not normally extreme, although there will likely be many days (and most nights) below freezing.

Should I stay with the plan or supplement a little during particularly bad stretches? For those that don't remember, they are an angus cross, around two years old.

 

[randiliana]

We don't supplement our bred heifers with grain unless they are thin. If they are in good condition, there is really no need for it. Ours also don't get supplemented after they calve. But we do feed as good quality hay as we can.

 

[ENNOT]

Hasbeen, I'll say this, if you agree, but it is alot easier to have those heifers a little fat before they calve than try to gain it after they calve or right before they calve.

The main thing I have seen is that if they are heavy before they calve, our BW will stay close to where they should be, but if on the later calving heifers, if you push them, they'll have a bigger calf.

Keep them in good condition, but don't pump the feed right before they are supposed to calve.

We AI the oldest heifers, and then catch the rest on natural breeding. We get them in pretty good condtion ( 6 BCS ) by November, but once it gets cold, we put them back out on pasture grass until 30 days before the AI bred heifers are to calve. Then we give good, good grass hay ( once a day ) and protein tubs, along with pasture. They do just fine.

This may not work for you, but don't try to compensate (feed too much if they aren't in good shape) if they are 30 days from calving.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If you and who ever has looked at them, is able to SEE the difference between a lot of hair & pregnant bellie and actual body condition, it would be best if you could FEEL them. Can you FEEL their backbone, if so they are thin.
BCS is hard to tell (even by experts) when they are heavy pregnant & carrying winter hair.
IF they are in BCS of 6 or better - great!!
If not, and you have the ability to suppliment them, I would. It has been proven that the little added weight you might be putting on the calf, is NOT DETRIMENTAL. On the contrary, it is beneficial. Calves born to thin cows/heifers may also be thin and they have a harder time surviving/florishing. Cows/heifers calving in a thin condition have more dystocia due to "weakness" (lack of extra energy) than fat heifers. Also, thin heifers will have poorer colostrum and have a harder time breeding back.
Now, there is a balance here. You don't want to start feeding 20 pounds of corn to heifers in their last trimester!
We have our heifers in good condition going into winter (our winters are MUCH harsher than yours) thru grass, and they are seperated from the mature group, fed the best hay we have, and never have to "scrounge" for hay.
Sounds like you BELIEVE yours are in good condition, so if they are, they should be fine without supplement. But, I would not worry about added weight on the calf if you wanted to give them a little extra (2# is hardly enough to say they got any, but would help them stay in good BCS)

 

[Hasbeen]

I'm convinced their condition is fine. Prior to growing their winter coats they were all slick with very little backbone or ribs showing. What I'm questioning is supplementing the hay during periods of cold, wet weather just to give them a little extra internal heat to ward off the cold. I'm not concerned with their weight at all.

Thanks for the responses everyone. You guys have gotten me through the first year great so far. The real test comes in about six weeks. Caustic's advise of "grass in front, bull in the back" has taken care of most everything so far. :lol:

 

[dun]

If it's just cold I wouldn;t worry about supplementing them. But if it's wet, exceptioanlly cold, snowy etc., it sure wouldn;t hurt.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

But, remember, HAY produces internal body heat better than grain.
We used to think CORN was the heat maker, but now they say its the HAY. Go figure. You finally get the rules down pat - and they change them!!!