Feeding 14-month-old Jersey heifer

[augustdaisy]

I’m new to cows & new to thread - so sorry if this information is already in other posts!

We acquired a now roughly 14-month old Jersey heifer about 4 months ago (got her at 10 months) - she went into a pasture with our neighbors 6 Angus steers of the same age/same size. The pasture had not been used prior, so for summer/fall it was good for all of them. But now it’s dormant (I think!) & I need to know how much to feed her & what to feed her!

Staff @ feed store recommended Sudan hay & 14% all-stock pellets - but I am reading in other forums this isn’t very good….this is what we got her based on the staff recommendations.

We are planning on moving her to our own land within a month - we want her as a milk cow - but until then we share the pasture with neighbor cows - it is our only option. Neighbor is not concerned about supplemental feed so I have to separate out my heifer daily to feed her. I am fine with doing that, I know I need to get used to being around the cows - she comes to the fence and I clip a lead rope and lead her out to her food. With this being my only option right now (I can’t afford to drop a round bale and feed the other 6 cows!) - I’m looking for information on how MUCH to feed her. We have square bales of Sudan hay and 14% pellets - is this good and how much should I give her? I will need to feed her twice daily (?) and separate her so I can’t “free feed” for right now…

I’m willing to buy whatever bay/feed is a better option. We’ve been going to a local feed store (which I know costs more), but because we are waiting to move we didn’t want to stock up on hay in our current location. In the last month/month-half we’ve done the Sudan & feed increasing incrementally as I don’t see how she can live on just grass in winter? But I still don’t know what it a good daily “ration” for her…

Cows have salt block & mineral block available, water always available. I feel anxious and I know neighbor doesn’t seem concerned about feeding but I don’t think the pasture will last all winter even though we’re in a warm climate. I also know my desire to feed a Jersey & have her healthy to breed is different than neighbor beef steers and what he plans to do with them. Help, please, thank you!

[westxgrl13]

Howdy from West Texas!

[treatlisa]

Welcome! Good questions you raise and it's great that you understand your heifer isn't the same as the beef steers. If she were mine, I would want her to have free choice good grass hay (winter pasture not helpful) and then, depending on her condition supplement with pellets and maybe even a little grain. If she is holding condition, you won't want her to get too fat with the grain.

Since I don't know the set-up there (like how big the pasture is) I'm wondering if it is possible to section off a small portion of the pasture with hot wire to give her the ability to eat through the day on her own? If the steers can't get too far away she would likely be ok with that kind of a set up. If they leave her, maybe not. I have a 3 wire Gallagher smart fence that would do a good job of keeping the steers out of her area. I'm not sure if a single strand would do it if the steers were hungry.

Anyway, here is a link to what I have: gallagherelectricfencing.com/collections/p-gallagher-smartfence-system It is an investment, but I've got my money's worth out of the ones I bought several times over... they are pretty handy to have around the farm.

Pictures would be helpful if you need some input on her current condition.

Again, welcome, and we are here to help you figure this out!

[suzorse]

when you feed her does she dive into her hay and eat it all ? 3 to 4 lbs of a 14% grain mix will not hurt her but I would not give any more than that at this time , also you do not want her to get to fat , she is coming up on an age to breed her soon ,easier to tell when she is in heat with the steers than by herself , I have never fed Sudan so can not advise you on that as a hay as I feed Alfalfa to everybody , but I also feed hay year around with supplemental pasture during the summer
Suzanne

[blaithin]

Dormant grass doesn’t mean it’s bad. Since it’s just for the next month I wouldn’t worry too much about getting a system going for hay. Supplement her with the 14%, give her a flake or two of the Sudan once a day and she should be fine. If the weather isn’t cold and miserable and her condition is good, a month isn’t going to hurt her.

Work at getting good hay organized so when she’s home she can free feed all day and you can really shove the food at her then.

[rosalind]

Sounds like you've got a good start.

Do you know what different types of hay are available in your area?

[augustdaisy]

To answer questions:

- Yes she will eat all she is given, though I’m up to 1/2 square bale daily and 4 “scoops” of feed so I’m thinking that’s not enough (split into two feedings). I’m unsure how much to give as she also is still in the pasture, though it doesn’t look good to me.

- I like the hot wire idea! I will talk with my husband about that.

- I would like to put some pictures up of her & the pasture but not sure how - I will look into it. I’m on a mobile device, no computer.

[augustdaisy]

I don’t know much about the bay here, except the staff @ feed store said heifer didn’t need alfalfa because it was too rich? They did have it there, though. I could perhaps mix it with the Sudan.

[rosalind]

If she were mine, I'd probably switch out the grain for alfalfa. Just because alfalfa is a hay, which is a more natural diet for a ruminant.

I don't know the quality of Sudan grass, if it compares to a regular grass hay or not. But where I live, we feed orchard grass and alfalfa to our calves in the off season. Pasture in summer. They never get grain because our hay is good quality. 20-30% alfalfa.

Ours are weaned off milk by 6-7 months and then do well on forages alone. You should be able to tell by her body condition whether her current diet is working.

[blaithin]

Also check her manure.

Grazing dormant forages means a lot of manure checks. It’ll get too dry if there isn’t enough protein and is mostly roughage. You want to keep it thinner. The good plops.

Not as easy a gauge because of her age but still a good indicator.

[augustdaisy]

I can check manure, and I can get alfalfa.

Does 1/4 bale of Sudan & 1/4 bale alfalfa a day sound good (1/2 bale total day)? I can then cut back/eliminate grain feed.

She is still out roaming the rest of the day, I just don’t know how much she’s eating. She’s bony on top, but I have read Jerseys are that way anyways?

Can anyone point me to how to put pictures in this thread?

Thank you!

[mommasquilts]

The Tapatalk app on a smart phone is the easiest way to post pictures.

[suzorse]

Dec 14, 2022 9:23:01 GMT -5 augustdaisy said:

I can check manure, and I can get alfalfa.

Does 1/4 bale of Sudan & 1/4 bale alfalfa a day sound good (1/2 bale total day)? I can then cut back/eliminate grain feed.

She is still out roaming the rest of the day, I just don’t know how much she’s eating. She’s bony on top, but I have read Jerseys are that way anyways?

Can anyone point me to how to put pictures in this thread?

Thank you!

you would use the taptalk app for your phone , I use a desktop so my process is differant
Suzanne

[rosalind]

What do the bales weigh?

[augustdaisy]

I got the app! These are some pics of her & some of the pasture. That’s one area, there are also woods and an entire separate pasture we just fenced in for them as well. Plus we go torrential rain yesterday. But it all looks pretty eaten down to me?

[mention]rosalind [/mention] I’m not sure about the bale weight - I’ll check - probably 30-40 lbs? Too heavy for me to lift from the truck!

I read my “scoop” for grain is 2lb, I’ve been giving her 4-ish# grain after morning hay.

[mommasquilts]

The weight of the grain varies. It is best to scoop a normal amount and weigh it for clarity. That “pasture” is nonexistent. She needs hay available all the time. Fencing off with electric seems the best way to feed only your animal.

[augustdaisy]

[mention]mommasquilts [/mention] Thank you! That is what I thought, though I am being told the ground is “fine.” I’ll continue to feed her daily.

[rosalind]

Yup, she needs to gain a bit of weight. I like to see them a fair bit heavier before breeding. She's close to the right age, but I think you'll need a few months to get a little more weight and bloom on her.

If she wants more hay, go ahead and feed her more. It's good to offer fresh hay daily so she'll consume it better and you know how much she's eating. (I think you're already doing this).

Keep offering her grain. A few pounds for now and the next couple months at least.

Have you had a fecal check done or has she been dewormed? If you can create a dry lot pen and feed her out of a hay feeder, that will limit future parasite exposure. And will allow your grass to regrow. Try to keep her off it til it's at least 4-6" high again.

[rosalind]

Meant to say also, her hair coat looks really good - very shiny, soft, thick. So I think in general she's probably pretty healthy, just needs to put on some weight.

[augustdaisy]

[mention]rosalind [/mention] I have never done a fecal test. The seller said they had dewormed her, but didn’t say when, so I could do that again?

I do bring her fresh hay, twice a day, though I will go up to three if needed. When I bring it I put it fresh in her manger, emptying out what she rejected. I separate her out of the fence and let her eat until she stops or the hay is gone, give her the 14% feed and let her eat, then bring her back with the other cows so she is with them & the fresh water. It totals about a half square bale daily (though I will confirm how heavy the bale is with my husband). I also give her the 14% protein feed twice daily, which I estimated to be about 4# twice daily, though that is going by the scoop size - so if there is a way I should more accurately weigh I will learn to do that.

Thank you all so much for the help. I’ll go tonight & buy alfalfa to mix with the Sudan, and I am looking for a more sustainable source of higher volume of hay.

Any thoughts on cattle cubes and/or protein tubs? These are things I’ve heard of but am unsure of their use with a cow I want to use as a milk cow.

Thank you!