How to feed a show heifer?

[aj]

Are ther ways to feed show heifers without getting them to fat? For instance can the filler rations blow them up without pushing them to hard? Is there a magical say % protein level not to exceed or a fat level or whatever.For like a basic show heifer that won't be transplanted latter do you turn them out in the summer to be bred and keep them fresh? I suppose it depnds on the level of competition.How do the breeding gauranties work if the heifers don't breed or whatever. Just food for thought...thanks in advance.

 

[Jill]

I'm pretty sure ours are too fat for your taste so I will let someone else answer the fat question.  We push them till about April-May and then start turning them out on pasture at night more to keep them fresh and keep them moving good.  We breed for late Feb early March calves, the earlier you can get them bred the better they look at the fall shows. Most breed association breeding guarantees state that if you show the heifer the breeder doesn't have to guarantee the animal.  I know you hear a lot about show heifers not breeding, but I tend to think a lot of that has to do with the experience level of the shower trying to get them bred,  in 15 years of showing we have only had 1 heifer that we couldn't get bred (Trans-Ova couldn't get anything either) and they gave credit at the next sale.

 

[bcosu]

i really don't like fat heifers but if you want to be competitive you need to feed them hard as long as they are showing. since the season is over in april for us, we normally pasture them after that for a month or two to slim back and that seems to work.

 

[simtal]

we have found that beet pulp and oats 50/50, with some protein work real well to keep heifers maintain fat and still grow and function well.

 

[chambero]

We feed ours just like our steers with one big exception - we don't add the supplemental corn or fat.  Our base ration is about 3.5% fat.  But we turn them out in big lots at night.  Exercise is the main thing I think.  We haven't had one yet that didn't breed.  We breed to calve in the fall and we'll kick our bred show heifers to the pasture around May 1 and they don't see anything but grass until they calve. 

 

[kdhansen]

we have found that beet pulp and oats 50/50, with some protein work real well to keep heifers maintain fat and still grow and function well.

Can you elaborate on this? I take it the beet pulp and oats keep your calcium/phosphorus ratio in balance? What do you use for protein? What are the amounts you start with, what type of oats do you prefer, and what amounts do you like to work up to? What type of hay, if any, and how much, or do they have accessibilty to pasture? I like the sounds of this combination....simple, basic and covers nutritional needs. Thanks.

 

[simtal]

we have found that beet pulp and oats 50/50, with some protein work real well to keep heifers maintain fat and still grow and function well.

Can you elaborate on this? I take it the beet pulp and oats keep your calcium/phosphorus ratio in balance? What do you use for protein? What are the amounts you start with, what type of oats do you prefer, and what amounts do you like to work up to? What type of hay, if any, and how much, or do they have accessibilty to pasture? I like the sounds of this combination....simple, basic and covers nutritional needs. Thanks.

really don't ever get concerned about cahos, use kent baby beef 34%(coffee can full), used cleaned oats (could use rolled if you have access to one),usually feed about half a bowl per head, let them eat all the hay and pasture they want.

 

[AAOK]

If you plan to win, your Show Heifers have to be too fat.  I've never bought in to the fat in the udder = won't milk issue.  Maybe every heifer we raised and exhibited was an exception, but we never had a milking problem with any of them.  Sure, some first calf heifers didn't give as much milk as they did with the second or third calf, but as far as I know that's the rule, not an exception.  Any calf we were going to show, or sell for show was started on feed no later than 4 months old, and would be eating 20lbs/day within 3-4 weeks.  Our heifer mix was a low protein, high fat and fiber mis not intended to be a growth ration, but designed to fill those fat cells and got they muscle growth kicked into high gear.  We learned that if you can get them fat when they'er young, it's a whole lot easier to keep them fat as they mature.  Our ration also contains a high amount of Cottonseed Hulls, which many will argue causes fertility problems.  We never had a calf that didn't breed within the first 2-3 AI attempts.  So, to answer your question; how to feed a show heifer?  Keep them parasite free, push them of feed, and always keep out a high quality mineral. 

 

[doubled]

If you are in Iowa you feed them like steers, maybe some top dress for middle but like steers, gotta have big bellies and fat butts.  I really dont like it that well but to be
competitive here in Iowa they gotta be BIG all around.  We usually turn them out as soon as we are done for the year in a small pasture and wean them down to a nice size
before they become real cows.