MANAGING PREGNANT HEIFERS IN THE FEEDLOT

Pregnancy in heifers causes losses in the feedlot. The severity of the associated problems varies depending on the stage of pregnancy, wheth er the heifers calve or abort, and whether cattle are sold live or on a grade-and-yield basis. Pregnancy in the feedlot is associated with s hrink, dystocia, retained fetal membranes, paralysis, and death loss. In the Pacific Northwest, problems related to pregnancy in heifers als o tend to cause problems for feedlot staff at a time of year when they are already overburdened. This column discusses options for dealing w ith heifers in the feedlot. One option is to buy only spayed and guara nteed-open heifers, but these heifers are hard to come by. Another opt ion is not to feed heifers at all. The producer may choose to observe heifer pens carefully and ship heifers prior to calving; however, this option is associated with the most problems. In our experience, it ha s been best to check all new heifers for pregnancy and induce abortion in all of those found to be pregnant after 21 days on feed. Waiting 2 or 3 weeks before inducing abortion can reduce problems related to th e immunosuppressant effects of the abortifacient drug.