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Heifers to thin.

H

Hayman

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2010
Messages
16
Location
Colorado
We have a few heifers that can't seem to put the weight back on. They all calved around a month or two back and since have went downhill. I have poured the hay to them and started giving them 38% Range cake but they don't seem to be doing any better. I poured dectomax on their backs about a month ago, thinking that might clean up whatever is messing with their system. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
 
You are over feeding protein. heifers will always lose weight after calving, but overfeeding protein will cause them to use up energy to get rid of the extra protein. Try some coarse grains and by the time they hit pasture, they will be fine.
 
Before we can say you are feeding too much protein (which is possible) we need to know how much hay do you think you are giving them?
How much cake? Is that 38% cake all natural? I bet it contains
urea, and I'm not a fan of urea. Takes too much energy to
utilize it. It's fine for feedlots, but not for range cows. How much of
the 38% protein comes from an all-natural source? You can't count
urea when you are figuring a ration because, a range cow can't use it.

How is the health of the calves? Are these heifers getting mineral?

Lactating heifers/cows requirements go
way up. If you are feeding straight alfalfa, I would suggest
you get some grass hay for them. A few pounds of alfalfa is
fine, straight alfalfa isn't good. Not enough fibre, or dry matter.
I'm thinking these heifers were probably thin before they
calved. Once they have calved it's very difficult for them
to gain weight until they are on green grass. One thing we
have found that helps tremendously when cattle are first
turned out on grass is to set a hay bale, straw bale, what have
you--in the pasture with the cattle. Green grass in wonderful,
has everything in it cattle need, EXCEPT dry matter. Cattle
need dry matter, and by sitting a bale out they can get
the dry matter.

When we were first told this, we just didn't believe the cows
would go to the hay bale when they had green grass. We were
wrong. They eat it, but not like when you are feeding them
in the winter time. They'll get a bit as they go by the bale and
pretty soon, the bale is gone. We've had customers tell us
their heifers have bred back better since they put some hay
bales out on green grass. (Of course, they get Vigortone mineral,
too. :wink: Sorry follks, the :evil: made me do it.) :P :lol: :lol:
 
Thanks for the help.
I have been feeding them 20-30 pounds of grass/alfalfa per day. The 38% is a Ranch Way Range Cake. They get around 1-3 pounds each per day. The calves look good and are gaining well. Our grass is just starting to come up and the cattle should start grazing on it within a couple of weeks. I have 3 different types of mineral blocks out for them, so they can have any mineral they need. I appreciate the help.
 
One other thing to consider is making sure your minerals have chelates (zinc, copper, manganese) in them. We feed "loose" mineral as I think it's nearly impossible for a cow to get a sufficient amount from a hard block. Of course, your area may not be as deficient in some minerals as mine is!
 
Hello everyone kinda new here ( been lurking and learnin a while) Our thinest heifer last year after two months of grass bred first day the bull was turned in. We quit feeding any supplement to cows and bred heifers 4 years ago and the cattle get better every year ( By supplement i mean grain / beef mix ect. We graze 9-10 months feed fescue hay 2-3 So i would recomend grass hay till grass comes in then let nature take control.Good luck with your heifers.
 
We sell a lot of mineral, have been dealers since 1994; and we don't sell hardly any chelated. We have it, but our regular products work so well, chelates aren't needed. The local vet used it for embryo transplants
because he wasn't on a year round mineral program. He was happy, but
when he switched to feeding mineral a little longer, the regular mineral did as good conception wise as the chelated and costs quite a bit more.
Most chelated mineral is only 30% chelated.

And our mineral company makes NO BLOCKS. As was mentioned earlier,
cattle just can't lick enough to meet their daily requirements. Loose mineral is much better for consumption.

FWIW

Good Luck!
 
Thanks everyone. I'll go get some loose minerals. We got 3-4" of snow this morning so it shouldn't be long and we will have green grass.
 

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