Feeding heifers for calving at two years old.

topground

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Somerset.
If you calve your homebred heifers at 2 years old, how and what do you feed them on from weaning to service ?
Ad lb hay and 1kg of 33% protien pellet with 2kg mollassed rolled barley each from Weaning at 8 months in late December while inside until March. I reckon it builds frame amd then they put on weight at grass to get to 380 fo 400 kg ready for service from mid June onwards,
 
Last edited:

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Our (herefordx) heifers get nothing but grass or silage. If they can't get to 360 kg + by 14 months you have to ask if they're good enough to keep. Most of the ones we bull are nearer 380/400 kg by then in actual fact. .
 

Dave6170

Member
Ours get 3kgs of barley and 35% protein pellet mix as weaned calves then the next winter when they are in calf they get 1kg barley and 0.5kgs 35% protein pellet. Grows frame and shouldnt make calves too big
 

scholland

Member
Location
ze3
Ours get silage, 2kg barley 0.5kg barley balancer. Feeding them after they calf and before they calf the second time is important too. Ours get 30kg silage straw mix instead of 22kg that the older cows get.
 
Location
East Mids
(dairy) weaned at approx. 6 weeks / 100kg build to 3 kg 18% cake 2kg cake with ad lib straw to 20 weeks. Then silage and 2kg/cake. Turnout to grass about 6-7 months (Aug/Sept born calves) - so about when suckled calves would be weaned. 1.5kg/head cake.at grass.
Housed Oct silage and 1.5kg, served Nov/Dec. (Once in calf then silage only , 2nd summer grazing only.)
 

multi power

Member
Location
pembrokeshire
Ad lb hay and 1kg of 33% protien pellet with 2kg mollassed rolled barley each from Weaning at 8 months in late December while inside until March. I reckon it builds frame amd then they put on weight at grass to get to 380 fo 400 kg ready for service from mid June onwards,
Our (herefordx) heifers get nothing but grass or silage. If they can't get to 360 kg + by 14 months you have to ask if they're good enough to keep. Most of the ones we bull are nearer 380/400 kg by then in actual fact. .
What weight are your cow's? Sounds very heavy at bulling to me, we bull dairy hefiers at 280/300 kg , 475/525 kg cow's
 

Who2

New Member
420-450 kg here for bulling, ive got away with 360 kg but that was on growthy empty sorts of heifers, anything less on sucklers and youll be left with very small cows.
 

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