How do you raise a replacement heifer?
4 min read
Asked by: Sharon Thompson
What does replacement heifer mean?
Replacement heifer is a heifer that has been selected to be bred and placed in the beef or milk herd. Steer is a castrated male bovine animal that weighs more than 500 pounds. Stockers and feeders are young steers or heifers, weighing approximately 400-800 pounds.
What traits are desired when selecting replacement heifers?
The criteria include: body confirmation, soundness, frame size, sustainability, disposition, good udders, milking ability, calving ease, longevity and the ability of the heifer to become a fertile cow that produces a robust healthy calf annually.
What do you feed a first heifer calf?
Supplement first-calf heifers with grains (energy) like corn, corn silage, or barley before they lose body condition. “Thin heifers don’t breed back quickly, if at all,” says Bjurstrom. “If she rebreeds late, it will take several lactations to get her back on track with the rest of the herd.
What is the best feed for heifers?
Feed high-quality grass or hay, Accuration® Liquid Supplement or Accuration® Hi-Fat Block, and Wind and Rain® Storm® Cattle Mineral. Set replacement heifers up to take the place of existing females and be better than your current cow herd. By putting a total program together, you’re not leaving anything to chance.
How many replacement heifers do I need?
Once these questions are answered, the following formula can be used to show how many heifers you need annually to maintain herd size. Herd Size X (Age at First Calving in Months/24) X Cull Rate X (1+Non-Completion Rate) = Annual number of Heifers Needed.
When can you breed a replacement heifer?
12 to 14 months
A: Breeding should occur when the heifer reaches puberty. Puberty is a function of breed, age, and weight. Most heifers will reach puberty and be bred by 12 to 14 months of age and will be between 55% and 65% of their mature weight when they first begin to exhibit estrous cycles.
Should you keep a heifer’s first calf?
Time quickly gets away when you’re a cow-calf operator, but it’s essential to keep the first calf heifers on track. Heifers conceiving early in their first breeding season will have increased lifetime production and efficiency.
What does open replacement heifers mean?
After two months of gestation, experienced palpaters should have no difficulty identifying which heifers are pregnant and which heifers are not pregnant (open). Those heifers that are determined to be “open” after this breeding season, should be strong candidates for culling.
What makes a good breeding cow?
They are gentle natured. They can be horned or polled. They have brilliant fertility. The cows are very maternal and take very good care of their calves.
How much hay does a heifer eat per day?
Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter. Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture. If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis”.
How much grain should I feed my heifer a day?
Based on research ADG of Holstein heifers should be 1.75 to 2.00 pounds per day. Weighing heifers is a relatively simple means to monitor animal performance, and this practice is a must for precision feeding dairy heifers successfully.
How long does it take to feed out a heifer?
The amount of time on feed can vary from 60-150 days. For a backyard steer, 90 days on grain should be sufficient. The grain component will help him gain faster and change the flavor of the beef to more closely match what is purchased in the grocery store.
Is cracked corn or whole corn better for cattle?
Processing Corn
Even though corn can be fed whole with satisfactory results, cracking or rolling prior to feeding will increase digestibility by 5 to 10 percent. In most instances, grinding or rolling corn will not markedly improve average daily gain, but proper processing will improve feed conversion efficiency.
How old is a 500 pound calf?
During this time their primary source of food is milk from their dam, and the grass or roughage (hay) that is available. At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.
