Calving at 24 months

Bicki85

Hi lads just have a few strongish heifer weanlings and I'm thinking about bulling them at 15 months, I want to feed them correctly, any tips ?

Zr105

Bicki85 wrote: »

Hi lads just have a few strongish heifer weanlings and I'm thinking about bulling them at 15 months, I want to feed them correctly, any tips ?

Ideally want them up on 400kg at bulling, personally I wouldn't be mad to try push them to achieve this weight, if they can do it naturally they'll have a decent growth rate to pass on to any off spring, push them with meal and they'll get fat rather than growing frame to carry the calf.

Biggest thing would be to keep minerals etc right in the diet.

mahoney_j

Feed them a hi protein nut/ration.you want them to grow a frame not get too fat too young.about 1.5 to 2 kg per day along with your best silage should get hem there.that and getting to grass in February and they'll be bang on

Farrell

Heard of giving dairy nuts (as high in protein), does many do this?

Deepsouthwest

Out of curiosity what weight would they be now? Hard to make a plan without knowing ur staring point

Bicki85

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Out of curiosity what weight would they be now? Hard to make a plan without knowing ur staring point

270-280kg at the moment , be next June by time chunk of them are 15 months,

blue5000

A rough guide is they'll be 60% of their final weight at bulling, so to get 600kg after calving they need to be 360 at bulling. As already said protein this winter is what makes a big difference, depending on what your silage is like, a small bit of soya, 3-400 grams a day is a big help while they are in.

You have 220 approx days to put about 90kg on them, that's if you want a 600kg cow.

Genghis Cant

Bicki85 wrote: »

270-280kg at the moment , be next June by time chunk of them are 15 months,

Continental or traditional breeds?

Bicki85

I've simx, chx, lmx, shx,, I realise they mightn't all make the desired weight but I'm answel give them proper treatment because they are the future I suppose

Milked out

Bicki85 wrote: »

I've simx, chx, lmx, shx,, I realise they mightn't all make the desired weight but I'm answel give them proper treatment because they are the future I suppose

If they are cycling at breeding time bull them away, they'll grow away fine after. As the lads said above good silage with a kg or 2 of 18 to 20 % p ration if they need it

Genghis Cant

I'll tell ya where I am on this. We have calved the odd heifer at 24mths and the odder one even less. It takes a certain type of heifer to work this system well. It takes a bit of extra care with the heifers, pre and post calving, and particularly the period from calving her first to her second calf. If you get it right there'll be no difference in how the heifer will turn out as a mature cow compared to bulling her at two or so.
The other side of the coin is a heifer that struggles to thrive, has a difficult calving, gets it hard to go back in calf, and never matures into the type of cow she's capable of being.

Bicki85

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I'll tell ya where I am on this. We have calved the odd heifer at 24mths and the odder one even less. It takes a certain type of heifer to work this system well. It takes a bit of extra care with the heifers, pre and post calving, and particularly the period from calving her first to her second calf. If you get it right there'll be no difference in how the heifer will turn out as a mature cow compared to bulling her at two or so.
The other side of the coin is a heifer that struggles to thrive, has a difficult calving, gets it hard to go back in calf, and never matures into the type of cow she's capable of being.

Very true, but am I being correct in giving them all good attention because they will all be kept?

Bodacious

Genghis Cant wrote: »

I'll tell ya where I am on this. We have calved the odd heifer at 24mths and the odder one even less. It takes a certain type of heifer to work this system well. It takes a bit of extra care with the heifers, pre and post calving, and particularly the period from calving her first to her second calf. If you get it right there'll be no difference in how the heifer will turn out as a mature cow compared to bulling her at two or so.
The other side of the coin is a heifer that struggles to thrive, has a difficult calving, gets it hard to go back in calf, and never matures into the type of cow she's capable of being.

+1

The odd one, a monster weanling coming off of the cow at 370-400kg is about the only one that you'll get away with it and even them she needs all the trimmings to keep her going to be big enough at calving .. Then out with the meal and your best grass to get her bulling again reasonably early do she doesn't slip back for second calving

Miname

ive very mixed opinions on calving at 24mths and some very varied results. i calved a good few at this size and in fairness didnt really loose anything by doing so. the biggest cow i have now was bulled at 380kg which i was worried about at the time but shes over 800kg now, some did stay small in comparison to what i believe their potential was but anything that didnt stay all paid when they were sold on as culls. The main secret is treat them well and plenty of minerals. ive a batch here now that are on 2kg of meal and minerals and will be going to the bull in march some will be only 13 months and my main issue will be whether they are cycling.

Bicki85

And would anyone of ye have a good meal mix to feed the heifers ? I'm feeding them reseeded silage which has oats in it

onyerbikepat

I always look at it in terms of energy. A growing anaimal needs so much energy to grow. A mature animal needs so much energy to maintain the same body condition.
When you calve a heifer at 2 years, she is still growing but she also has to produce milk for the calf. That's a huge draw on a young animal, so to get her back bulling quickly, it is well worth feeding some meal, even on good spring grass.
Use the easiest calving bull you can aswell and restrict feed 6 weeks before calving.

Deepsouthwest

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I always look at it in terms of energy. A growing anaimal needs so much energy to grow. A mature animal needs so much energy to maintain the same body condition.
When you calve a heifer at 2 years, she is still growing but she also has to produce milk for the calf. That's a huge draw on a young animal, so to get her back bulling quickly, it is well worth feeding some meal, even on good spring grass.
Use the easiest calving bull you can aswell and restrict feed 6 weeks before calving.

Don't think I can agree with that, it's always protein to grow an animal and energy to finish. I'd agree with feeding a high energy meal after calving as high protein only pushes more milk, draining condition from the heifer, high energy will help maintain that condition. And definitely easy calving bull for the first and even second calving.

onyerbikepat

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Don't think I can agree with that, it's always protein to grow an animal and energy to finish. I'd agree with feeding a high energy meal after calving as high protein only pushes more milk, draining condition from the heifer, high energy will help maintain that condition. And definitely easy calving bull for the first and even second calving.

I know, "protein to grow an animal and energy to finish", but that refers to the "type", as in more energy and more protein, not the absolute amount. You won't grow an animal on protein only.

Bicki85

Was looking at smyths "hi-gro beef nut" and a "grower weanlings crunch" the rep has recommended me a beef nuts super that's just as good and 40euro tonne cheaper

trg

If you wanted to bull heifers next March at the 400kg mark what weight would they need to be now?

They wouldn't be out til Mid April around here so diet will be silage & meal.

Brass Tag

trg wrote: »

If you wanted to bull heifers next March at the 400kg mark what weight would they need to be now?

They wouldn't be out til Mid April around here so diet will be silage & meal.

Fairly good silage plus 2kg meal per day probably give 0.5 to 0.8 kg gain per day depending on kind of heifer you are feeding.
There was a good article on that subject in the IFJ about a month ago!

Miname

trg wrote: »

If you wanted to bull heifers next March at the 400kg mark what weight would they need to be now?

They wouldn't be out til Mid April around here so diet will be silage & meal.

they would want to in or around the 340kg now and hoping for a thrive of .6kg per day. some heifers will do it no bother and some will struggle.

onyerbikepat

I would be more inclined to look how growthy a heifer was than her actual weight at bulling. They'll do a fair bit of growing in 9 months and if they're still growing, they're less likely to put on condition.

Mad4simmental

Going to calve down a few heifers at 24 months for the first time here next year. Very good condition nearly a year old and around 450kg on good silage.

What meal/nut would you reckommend and what %p would ye go for?

Would an easy 3kg barly to 1kg soya be good annof?

They are bulling every few weeks not a bother on them and I'm happy with their condition but there is plenty of growth left in them. Tanx

Miname

Mad4simmental wrote: »

Going to calve down a few heifers at 24 months for the first time here next year. Very good condition nearly a year old and around 450kg on good silage.

What meal/nut would you reckommend and what %p would ye go for?

Would an easy 3kg barly to 1kg soya be good annof?

They are bulling every few weeks not a bother on them and I'm happy with their condition but there is plenty of growth left in them. Tanx

i ai'd a few around the 450-500 mark today and they will get 1 kg meal for another fortnight and then thats it till they calve. if they are 450kg at 12 months they will do plenty enough by the time they calve.

welton john

I've two lim heifers 14 and 15 months that im hoping to calve at two.They're both round 370 kg but are being outwintered so hope they'll do well at grass.Don't fancy keeping them the extra year .First one came bulling this evening so was goin to ai to saler bull pzb.Anyone use this bull or have easier alternative?Not completly apposed to aa but would prefer cont.

Mac Taylor

welton john wrote: »

I've two lim heifers 14 and 15 months that im hoping to calve at two.They're both round 370 kg but are being outwintered so hope they'll do well at grass.Don't fancy keeping them the extra year .First one came bulling this evening so was goin to ai to saler bull pzb.Anyone use this bull or have easier alternative?Not completly apposed to aa but would prefer cont.

John, would you consider a shorthorn, if you get a heifer you have a valuable replacement also you are not putting pressure on the heifer either. If you look at the tbread on Dovea Bulls you will see a link to some very easing calving lims with high realibility.

welton john

Mac Taylor wrote: »

John, would you consider a shorthorn, if you get a heifer you have a valuable replacement also you are not putting pressure on the heifer either. If you look at the tbread on Dovea Bulls you will see a link to some very easing calving lims with high realibility.

Have a few shorthorns calving to lims this year so was looking for somthing a bit different.I only breed the sucklers to maternal bulls so the saler ticks alot of boxes.might see if the dovea lad has some of the sexed lim straws

Mac Taylor

welton john wrote: »

Have a few shorthorns calving to lims this year so was looking for somthing a bit different.I only breed the sucklers to maternal bulls so the saler ticks alot of boxes.might see if the dovea lad has some of the sexed lim straws

I have a lim heifer due to ballymackeogh Hugh (bhu) a saler bull from Dovea. Only thing I'm worried about is docility, even though she is a very quite heifer.

welton john

Mac Taylor wrote: »

I have a lim heifer due to ballymackeogh Hugh (bhu) a saler bull from Dovea. Only thing I'm worried about is docility, even though she is a very quite heifer.

Have two dairy sh incalf to the other ballymackeogh bull so they should be okay being bucket fed.Was at a farm a few months back with a small herd of salers.seemed very relaxed in the field and no bother walk around them.