what to feed?

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Anonymous

I have 3 black angus heifers between the ages of 9mths and 1 yr. I am new to the cattle business and they are on pasture but are also getting calf finisher daily and cattle cubes 4 times or so a week. What should I feed them at this point?
 
You don't mention your location, quality or quantity of grass, plans for these heifers, or how much of the calf finisher and cubes your feeding but, if you're planning on breeding them, I don't believe I would be feeding them calf finisher because A) it's probably costing you more money than is necessary, and B) it probably contains more protein than they need, and can also cause them to become too fat to breed. Hay cubes also tend to be fairly high in protien and can cause the same problem, depending on how much you're feeding/sitting, and the quality/quantity of your grass, as well as your weather. I would probably alternate good quality alfalfa with a good quality grass hay, or feed a good quality alfalfa/grass mix - the amount fed would, again, depend on the quality and quantity of your grass. I might also feed a pound - possibly two of corn/animal/day, depending on the quality of hay and grass. I don't mean to be so ambigious, but supplements depend entirely on the quality and quantity of the grass that is available, and on the winter weather. Whatever I decided to feed, I would make sure they didn't get overly fat because that will cause problems with breeding, and will cause you to take a hit if you're planning on selling them.
 
I am in North Texas and have good quality costal hay as far as that goes, that they have free range of. We planted some rye grass also that is beginning to come up too. I am wanting to stop the calf finisher yes for the money were spending as well as the fat heifers. I am wanting to figure out what the best way to get them their protein is? I am wanting to use them for breeding in the future.
 
I know hay can be tested, but I'm not sure if grass can or not. You might talk to your county extension office about it. Given their ages, I would still give them a little grain or a few cubes (a pound, maybe 2 depending on their condition) per animal each day because they are growing and developing and need a little something extra to help them do that properly.

PS If there are any colleges near you, you also might consider raiding their bookstore for a book on animal nutrition. They tend to be a little easier to read than some of the other books dealing with the same subject - at least that has been my experience. As an added bonus - because they are textbooks designed for classes, there are usually exercises you can do that have the answers so you can increase your overall knowledge.
 

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