Replacement hiefers

[greybeard]

I have some replacement heifers that I bought home from pasture in really good condition. Maybe even a little fat for replacements. I have been feeding them hay free choice (No grain). I expected them to loose some condition when we got into some cold weather. If anything ,they are looking fatter than ever.
They are due to calve starting march 15. Can I feed them lower quality hay to try melt some of this fat off or am I better off calving them as they are? I am not worried about birth weight coming from the bulls as I have used them all before. The heifers were all moderate to small birth weight. Will this extra fat add birth weight at this stage?
They are simm X angus and moderate framed Simmental bred angus. General I would call them well grown out. Anyone have any experience with this type of thing.

[melvill]

It depends on what you call lower quality hay. IF they are on a very high protien alfalfa mix, feeding a grass base hay might cause some weight loss, but they must be very easy keepers so perhaps that is how they will remain.
I don't feed my bred heifers grain, but I do have a tub of SmartLic out with them and feed a good quality mineral and loose salt mixture. The cow herd has to walk quite a way to water so that gives them excercise.

[Cedar]

Greybeard: Can you give us a condition score on these heifers? That's a big determination of the specific answer, however: Depending where you are, there will likely be some cold weather between now and March 15... I have found that "chubby" heifers seem to calve just fine using our lower birthweight bulls and usually can maintain themselves, feed the calf, and breed back sooner, as compared to heifers that are in lesser condition. I know the literature tells us that overfats are more likely to have calving problems, however, I have yet to experience this phenomenon. But, they sure do lose condition while they are feeding that calf, especially if they're not in good shape prior to calving. (we start calving about 6 weeks before you, though, so, just that much longer to the grass season and more cold weather). One just has to keep a close eye on them and any that don't lose condition while milking are probably "keeping it all for themselves" and any that are loosing too much condition are probably "milking too good", but this has to be confirmed by the calf's performance as well!

I would think that if the bulls you used are true low birthweight bulls (going back in the pedigree for many generations) that feeding at this stage of gestation should have little or no effect on the birthweight and dystocia. Best to let her keep the condition now so she can feed it well when it's born and be able to rebreed soon after!

[PureCountry]

I agree Cedar. The only time I've seen fat cause calving problems is in some of my grandfathers' purebred Red Angus heifers one year, because he had them fed out at a local feedlot. They were so fat that when I reached in to get ropes on the calf, blobs of fat came out on my arm. The vet couldn't believe it.
But those were grotesquely fat heifers. Chubby heifers shouldn't have trouble.

[greybeard]

Sorry for not replying sooner. I agree with you about lots of cold weather yet to come. Yesterday standing out in the wind they sure didn't look to fat. You can feel their ribs if you push hard up near the spine and fairly easy on the sides of their bellies. I don't know what condition score that is, maybe 7? They don't look to blubbery around the tail head. My main concern is reduced room in the birth canal.
The bulls are Gardens Prime Time breeding with small heads and smooth shoulders.
I have these in a pen, but am considering turning them out with the cow heard in order to get more exercise. With the cows they aren't really on free choice and I don't think the over-all TDN is as high.

[greybeard]

I always feed the heifers separate from the cows, but never in pens. They need excercise just like any first time mom. I don't feed them grain regularly but when I pen them up a couple of weeks prior to calving I put them two at a time in small calving pens and give them a bit of grain, just to get them used to being in a pen.