Waiting for Spring !!

[Anonymous]

Today the wind wasn't blowing for a change- (snowing again but not blowing) so I decided to snap some pics while I was feeding....The other day on one of the other websites someone made the insinuation that "low input" meant starving your cattle- and cattle in poor shape...

Since I consider myself pretty low input- it kind of stuck in my craw... I see low input as not owning shares in local feedstore/elevator, or a grain mill or silage pits-- or hillsides covered with protein tubs and creep feeders....And having cows that can go out and calve on their own without babysitting chores and work for you- not you for them...

For several years now- the only grain my cows see is the replacements when they are weaned and lotted for about two/three weeks- after that they are turned back into the herd and begin learning to live and socialize with their older sisters... And about the only reason I grain them then- is to gentle them down walking thru them hauling grain to them in buckets- and to get them to eating grain in case I decide to synchronize them for AI...

Over the years of survival of the fittest- and use of more efficient genetics- I have gotten to the point where the cows I used to have to feed 30-40Lbs of hay a day to maintain good condition in winters like this can now easily do it on 20-25 Lbs ...

I had planned on grazing until at least well into January-- but the early snow- heavy snow (57 inches this fall/winter)- and crusting made me have to begin feeding the 1st of Dec with half feed- and full feed (20-25 Lbs a day) starting about mid Dec...

And to me they sure don't look like they're starving....Altho I'm sure they are as excited about seeing spring and all that grazing left under the snow as I am.... Snow's getting so deep I'm running out of places I can get into to feed-- and room to stack the snow we clean off the feed areas....


A few of the poor mistreated old girls

Magnitude X Bannon of Wye heifer calf... The baldy is one of the last I have-- and probably the biggest frame size cow left on the place (7 frame)... Out of a little hereford cow- she sure grew- but inherited her mothers ability to pick all winter and maintain her condition- and raise a big old baldy calf so earned her right to stick around....

Legacy 726T X Juanada calf (mggs-Cole Creek Goldmere 31N)

Even the Shoshone Felix granddaughter (OCC Prestige daughter) I bought looks like she isn't being too mistreated in her new hi-line home

Front one is a Prime Time D806 X Juanadamere 2 year old daughter

Another D806 2 year old

A Juanada Lad 81T second calver daughter

 

[Denny]

I'm temted to kick my heifers with the cows but have'nt done so yet. Your hay looks pretty good. That to me is a big part of the equation if you tried running those heifers 1/2 the winter on Bullfrog Alfalfa I'm sure the outcome would'nt be as plesant.

The two best commercial outfits here fertilize all their hay ground and feed only hay and mineral to the mature cows, calve 1st of march and wean 650# steers consistantly.The type of hay plays a VERY big part in their and your equation. I feed alot of rough hay and supplement with corn silage but thats the lowest cost way for me as I hold the cards on alot of meadow hay. I have no alfalfa to speak of. Your cattle look good and genetics play a part but quality of forage does as well.

Nice Photo's

 

[Big Swede]

I hope you snow melts before you start calving Oldtimer. I remember one year in March where the only bare ground we had was the trails we plowed. Not a fun calving season.

 

[Haytrucker]

Here's hoping that yellow-tagged heifer has a bunch of heifer calves. Nice pictures from the "frozen north". The cows here are still picking on corn stalks, and drinking snow melt.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm temted to kick my heifers with the cows but have'nt done so yet. Your hay looks pretty good. That to me is a big part of the equation if you tried running those heifers 1/2 the winter on Bullfrog Alfalfa I'm sure the outcome would'nt be as plesant.

The two best commercial outfits here fertilize all their hay ground and feed only hay and mineral to the mature cows, calve 1st of march and wean 650# steers consistantly.The type of hay plays a VERY big part in their and your equation. I feed alot of rough hay and supplement with corn silage but thats the lowest cost way for me as I hold the cards on alot of meadow hay. I have no alfalfa to speak of. Your cattle look good and genetics play a part but quality of forage does as well.

Nice Photo's

Yep- Denny and using what is most available and cost effective in your area is part of what I consider low input....This is pretty good grass/alfalfa hay I have this year (some is 2 years old)... I sometimes feed straw with it during the winter months- but don't have a great amount of straw this year- and with the current weather pattern think I may need in for calving...

A series of years of drought- less/no hay available- and high hay prices really got me looking at the more efficient genetics...And I started culling heavier for those that couldn't carry their load on lower input- and breeding for and looking for genetics that could...

Now this year- I could probably bed them in hay- at the availabilty and low cost of hay locally- and it wouldn't be overly pricey...But to me, hay in the stack is better than dollars in the bank...Who nows what it will be worth next year....

As far as the heifer deal of running all together- that came about back in another terrible winter in 2003 or thereabouts...I had the heifers all seperate and feeding separate-and feeding some rolled Barley/Oats- but where they were at blew in so deep I couldn't get in to feed them- had to hire a D-8 to dig them out- and once I got them out I just threw them in with the main cow herd to feed all together...

They did well- and in my opinion learned to socialize with the herd better/earlier- and when on grass weren't just a bunch of snoopy yearlings off running the fenceline- but settled down better and stayed with the cows and got right in with the program earlier...I also think my foot problems have went down- and breed up has been good...Out of about 80 heifers I've raised this way now- I can think of only 2 opens I had...
And since I went toward the more moderate sized cattle- and more grass genetics- my weaning weights have remained about the same, if not actually improved on the good grass years....

Haytrucker

Here's hoping that yellow-tagged heifer has a bunch of heifer calves. Nice pictures from the "frozen north". The cows here are still picking on corn stalks, and drinking snow melt

Ya- she was the number one pick of my sons at the Whitney Creek sale this fall- and that is what he is hoping for.....Taylor Orr at Whitney Creek is 15 years ahead of me on breeding for efficient cattle- so I like to use him to cut corners :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Strategies Developed for More Efficient Beef Cattle Production
By Sharon Durham
January 19, 2011
Reducing the amount of feed given to young female cows called heifers can result in more efficient use of nutrients for growth and reproduction, according to studies conducted by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) animal scientist Andrew Roberts and his colleagues at the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Laboratory in Miles City, Mont., found that the heifers they fed to lower target weights than those traditionally recommended consumed 27 percent less feed over the winter months, and gained weight more efficiently throughout the postweaning period and subsequent grazing season. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

According to Roberts, this strategy of providing less feed may reduce costs of developing each replacement heifer by more than $31 and extend their lifespan, with important ramifications for lifetime efficiency and profitability. Feed represents 50 to 55 percent of total costs of developing replacement heifers.

In their study, begun in 2001, heifers were divided into two lifetime treatment groups: The control group was fed according to industry guidelines, and the restricted group was fed (on a body-weight basis) 80 percent of feed consumed by their control counterparts for 140 days, ending when they were 1 year old. The restricted heifers grew slower and weighed less at any point in time as a consequence of less feed. Final pregnancy rates were 87 percent for restricted heifers and 91 percent for controls.

According to Roberts, restricting feed allows nature to decide which heifers were reproductively efficient: Less efficient heifers would eventually fail to reproduce and be culled if restricted, whereas feeding more would keep them in production but result in more expense for the producer.

Read more about this research in the January 2011 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2011/110119.htm

 

[Triangle Bar]

Critters are in good shape and sure enjoying their feed, interesting article as well.

I'm still waiting for winter to arrive. It's been cold but dry. I'm hopin' and prayin' the next few months will bring some much needed moisture here.

 

[PATB]

Oldtimer please send the winter weather to CO since they need moisture. I am getting sick of plowing snow every few days.

 

[Big Swede]

I went to a presentation the other night that the Extension service put on and one of the speakers was from Fort Keogh. He explained their operation and research and then went on to tell about the project in the article you posted. It was very interesting

 

[WyomingRancher]

As far as the heifer deal of running all together- that came about back in another terrible winter in 2003 or thereabouts...I had the heifers all seperate and feeding separate-and feeding some rolled Barley/Oats- but where they were at blew in so deep I couldn't get in to feed them- had to hire a D-8 to dig them out- and once I got them out I just threw them in with the main cow herd to feed all together...

They did well- and in my opinion learned to socialize with the herd better/earlier- and when on grass weren't just a bunch of snoopy yearlings off running the fenceline- but settled down better and stayed with the cows and got right in with the program earlier...I also think my foot problems have went down- and breed up has been good...Out of about 80 heifers I've raised this way now- I can think of only 2 opens I had...
And since I went toward the more moderate sized cattle- and more grass genetics- my weaning weights have remained about the same, if not actually improved on the good grass years....
:

I've found the exact same thing to be true... and looking back I can't believe I used to do it differently. This winter I have had the heifer calves in a separate pasture, but it was a decision based on pasture distribution. I will be putting the heifer calves back in with the outside heavy cows once calving begins. I have plans to increase the size of the winter pasture, which would allow me to go back to running all cattle together through the winter :wink: .