Brangus Heifer

[AAOK]

This may sound stupid, but do you mean put her on a "top notch mineral" in addition to the show ration?

Just my opinion based on several years of experience; you should keep a free choice mineral for show calves in addition to the complete feed.  Again, my opinion, a "top notch" mineral is Vita-Ferm, Vigortone, or ADM/Moormans.  Do not keep out a mineral block or salt block.

Acco is the best selling show feed on the market.  Be sure to feed in the morning and evening.  Begin by feeding her about 1% of body weight, plus hay.  Gradually increase her grain amount to 3 % of body weight while you are decreasing her hay to about 3 lbs. daily.  Watch your heifer closely in her conditioning.  You may have to switch to the Finisher ration.

 

[dori36]

This may sound stupid, but do you mean put her on a "top notch mineral" in addition to the show ration?

Just my opinion based on several years of experience; you should keep a free choice mineral for show calves in addition to the complete feed.  Again, my opinion, a "top notch" mineral is Vita-Ferm, Vigortone, or ADM/Moormans.  Do not keep out a mineral block or salt block.

Acco is the best selling show feed on the market.  Be sure to feed in the morning and evening.  Begin by feeding her about 1% of body weight, plus hay.  Gradually increase her grain amount to 3 % of body weight while you are decreasing her hay to about 3 lbs. daily.  Watch your heifer closely in her conditioning.  You may have to switch to the Finisher ration.

I'd just like to second the mineral suggestion.  Free choice, loose minerals are easier for the cattle to get and consume quickly so they aren't standing around mindlessly licking on a block.  I've used Vigortone for many years and believe it can't be beat.  There are formulations to fit your area taking into consideration what, if anything, you soil may lack. In Wyoming, I used the formulation for magnesium deficient soil.  Here, in Michigan, we have plenty of Magnesium but are Selenium deficient. So, here I use Vitortone 32S Plus which supplies the maximum selenium allowed by law.  I'd also be sure to give the heifer good quality grass hay to start as I'm gathering from your first post that she isn't weaned yet.  I'd keep her on the grass hay for a couple of weeks and, then, start her on that good Acco feed.  You'll stave off the scours that way.  Good luck!

 

[kimbaljd]

Thanks again for the great advice. She is still in the pasture, and will be for two more weeks. They have been out there feeding range cubes and just getting all his calves accustomed to people and that was evident when we went out there this weekend. I saw an add for a product from OXY GEN, it was called "Femininity". Anybody have any experience with it and if so, what are your thoughts. I saw it and was just wondering what it was.

 

[kimbaljd]

.....

 

[garybob]

I think many people on here would be amazed with Her. I've never seen Her, myself, but, most "SP" Citizens are accustomed to hairier/carrier cattle with no Bos Indicus influence. I'd breed her to some of those Camp Cooley Sires, and, keep a-doin' it.

GB

 

[kimbaljd]

I have noticed that the "Brahman" word is like a curse word on here. It very, very rarely gets used. Down here where we are its hard to find cattle without some Brahman in them. IMO they are hard to beat and are overlooked way too often. I have been around them all my life and they have been some great animals and mostly have a great disposition. We had a full blooded bull when I was a kid that you could walk up to in the pasture and sit on him and he seemed to need the attention, almost like a dog.

 

[red]

we used to have a poster called Brahmagirl. She had some of the coolest cattle

 

[sawboss]

We also have a Brangus heifer we purchased from Stalwart Ranch, she is the neatest little gal and very feminine.  This is the direction my youngest son wants to redirect his herd.

 

[shortyjock89]

It's hard for alot of us on here to comment or help with Brahman cattle because we're not familiar with them. It's probably hard for the folks with Brahmas to help me with my Shorthorns, just the way it is. I don't have anything against eared cattle, they're very good in the southern climate and are very parasite resistant, but other than that, I don't know much.  Gerts are the closest Brahman-type cattle to mine lol..though I dont suspect I could help out much with them either....

 

[Rocky Hill Simmental]

My sister shows brahman crossed commercial heifers. I showed an angus x simme x brahman crossed market steer this past year. They're real sweet cattle. My sister has a santa gertuidis and she's so tame you can ride her like a horse. 

I like her. She has a nice deep body and she looks real easy going. She'll probably be a real good show heifer.

 

[kimbaljd]

I was not in any way making an angry comment. Just noting what I had noticed on here. I really appreciate all the comments positive or negative. This is a great website and I have seen an increase in my internet time on here.

 

[shortyjock89]

I gotcha    Oh, and I would probably stay away from most supplements.  I don't think there is anything out there that can actually make a heifer appear to me more heifer-ish..could be wrong..I frequently am...

 

[kimbaljd]

OK, I found the product I was talking about from Oxy-Gen. Posting a link on here now. I have had a few comments that say dont worry about supplements, I will most likely not use this stuff. Just want to find out more info about it.

 

[garybob]

I have noticed that the "Brahman" word is like a curse word on here. It very, very rarely gets used. Down here where we are its hard to find cattle without some Brahman in them. IMO they are hard to beat and are overlooked way too often. I have been around them all my life and they have been some great animals and mostly have a great disposition. We had a full blooded bull when I was a kid that you could walk up to in the pasture and sit on him and he seemed to need the attention, almost like a dog.

Actually, the current, politically-correct terminology for "earrred cattle" is "tropically adapted". Bos-Indicus-influenced cattle are quite adaptable to a wide range of climates and forages outside of their "traditonal" regions of the world.

You'd be surprised, how far "north" you could go with 'em. They'll adapt better to snow better than Midwestern and Western cattle could adapt to humidity and parasites.

GB

 

[kimbaljd]

Once again

 

[kimbaljd]

Here are some recent pictures of my daughters heifer. We just got her today. She looks kind of rough, she came straight in from the pasture off her momma. I was pleased, she was pretty calm and never fought us at any point and didnt seem to mind the rope halter we put on her. Sorry about the size, maybe someday I can get my ten year old daughter to teach me how to resize. Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated.

 

[showsteerdlux]

Nice heifer. Looks to have alot of hair for a brangus. Has alot of rib shape and good long spine. Just looks to need some groceries which is to be expected since she just weaned. Good luck with her and hope she makes a good project.

 

[kimbaljd]

Thanks, she does seem to have a lot of hair. Doubt I will be able to keep it on her down here in south texas. We were almost up to 80 degrees today. I am trying to ease her into the groceries. She had been out in the pasture her whole life and only ate range cubes occasionally.

 

[garybob]

What's her Pedigree?

GB

 

[kimbaljd]

GB I wish I could tell you that. The guy I got her from bought a heifer at a county fair down here year before last just to put out in the pasture with his other cows. He has a pretty good looking brangus bull that he put out last year with the cows and this is the first calf out of that county fair show heifer. He has coffee with my dad every saturday morning and told me he had a pretty decent heifer calf if I was interested for my daughter. I went out and checked her out and decided we would give her a try. He said if she doesnt make the sale that he will buy her back after the fair if we want to sell her. I figure cant lose too bad with that deal and I can see if my kiddo REALLY wants to do this without dropping a couple grand on a good show heifer. The thing is we have been out there with her and the more I study her, the more I like the way she looks. We shall see how it goes. Went and got some of the ACCO heifer show feed and gave her a little bit and she sucked it down like nobody's business. I was worried how she was gonna take to starting on feed. I will update on how she does later. Thanks for all the comments and appreciate any more you have.