Successful heifer development is all about balance. Feed too little, and heifers may not be ready for breeding season. Push too much, and their reproductive abilities could suffer. Here’s what you can do to ensure you’re giving heifers the best chance to reproduce and keep your herd strong.

Set Your Development Goals Before Breeding

Your heifer feeding program needs to check a lot of boxes: support steady growth, appropriate body condition and reproductive readiness — and support strong recovery after calving so they can breed back within the 85-day target window.
 
Work backward from your planned breeding date to determine how your heifers need to develop between now and then.

If you're developing spring-born heifers through fall and winter, keep them progressing so you aren't trying to make up lost ground just before breeding. Discuss these development targets with your nutritionist:

• Target around 1½ pounds of gain per day, adjusted for frame size and development needs.
• Aim for 65%-70% of expected mature body weight by breeding.
• A body condition score (BCS) of 6 is ideal for breeding.

Hitting these target metrics is a sign of a strong nutrition program — one that sets your herd up for continued growth. But with so much variation in feedstuffs and seasonal challenges like drought and forage variability, it’s important to determine what nutrition your feed supplies to help you identify nutritional gaps. That’s where forage testing can make a real difference, giving you a closer look at your forage’s energy and protein content so you can make informed supplementation decisions. Talk to your local Purina dealer about getting a forage test and interpreting your results.

How to Use Forage Test Data to Enhance Your Heifer Development Program 

Review your forage results with your nutritionist alongside your heifers’ weight, expected intake and target gain. The data from your forage test can help you understand the quality of your forage and help you determine what to add or remove from your nutrition program to hit the ideal levels of energy and protein. For growing heifers, looking at net energy gained (NEg) is helpful because it directly reflects the energy available to support weight gain and development. This also helps you avoid overfeeding or wasting resources. Here’s a look at what specific NEg scores could mean for your nutrition program:

• NEg of 38 or below: You may need to add energy back with distillers, corn or protein. Check protein separately and address any shortfalls as you balance the ration.
• NEg of 39 to 41: These scores typically indicate there is enough protein in your nutrition program, but vitamins and minerals could be a valuable supplement.
• NEg of 42 and above: Blending in lower-energy (lower quality) roughage may help balance out the energy in your forage.

Match Supplementation to Your Feeding System

In addition to energy levels from forage, the delivery method of your feed can impact which supplements are the best fit for your nutrition program and your heifers’ development needs.
 
If you’re grazing dormant forage or feeding free-choice hay, Purina^® Accuration^® Range Liquid tubs — available in 5%, 10% and 12% fat formulations — can help ensure your heifers get the protein, fat, vitamins and minerals needed to support weight gain, efficiency and adequate BCS without additional feed mixing on your part. Similarly, Purina^® RangeLand^® Protein Tubs are ideal for free-choice feeding situations where vitamins and minerals are needed, but protein needs are already being met (i.e., your NEg score is between 39 and 41).
 
Purina^® Wind and Rain^® Mineral is ideal if your heifers need free-choice mineral in a grazing setting because it is specifically designed to be weather resistant, providing all 14 essential cattle minerals.
 
As breeding season approaches, Purina^® CX8™ Supplement can help take your operation to the next level. Its additive technology incorporates eight nutritional components that support rumen fermentation, trace mineral and energy utilization, fertility and first service conception, a healthy pregnancy and fetal loss prevention. The results: steady nutritional support throughout the whole heifer development window. More heifers getting bred equals greater potential for ROI.

Proper Heifer Nutrition Pays Off 

When it comes to heifer development, there’s a lot on the line for your operation. An investment in your nutrition program is an investment in your heifers’ long-term reproductive health and, ultimately, the continued growth and maintenance of your herd. Starting with a forage test can give you a clearer picture of the nutrients available to your heifers to help guide your feed decisions to better serve their nutritional needs and set them up for success.
 
Not sure where to start? See how a Proof Pays™ feeding trial can help you identify the Purina products that fit your needs