– Bill Halfman, Agriculture Agent, Monroe County, Wisconsin
If the young cows are left in with the rest of the herd they can be pushed away and not have sufficient access to feed.
A frequently heard recommendation for beef farms is to separate the 2-year-olds and thin cows from the main herd during the winter-feeding period. Three-year-olds may also benefit from being in this group because they are still growing. This is important every year, and likely even more important during years of limited forage resources.
For the first time in their lives, 2-year-old heifers have a lot going on over the spring and summer when they calve for the first time. They are feeding a calf and recovering from calving. They also need to rebreed within 80 to 85 days of calving to get on a 12-month calving interval and remain valuable members of the herd.
Amid all these events, they are still growing themselves. Their rumen capacity is lower than . . .
Continue reading Don’t overlook nutritional needs of 2-year-old cows