2 new Beefmaster heifers

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

I just bought 2 Beefmaster heifers yesterday. One is 6 months old and one is 8 months old. Niether of these heifers are weaned and they were still sucking on their mommas when I picked them up. They have bawled like crazy since I dropped them off in the lot yesterday and they both broke out since last night. I have them and the rest of my cows in the lot right now tryin' to calm them down. How long does it take to wean these heifers? I have bought young calves straight off the teat before and never had a problem like this. I bought these young heifers because I knew the momma cows and they were pretty docile and broke to checkers (range cubes). Those Beefmaster cows must be pretty good mommas for these young heifers to miss them like they do. Does anyone have any advice for me?

 

[Texan]

Does anyone have any advice for me?

Give 'em good grass hay, good clean water, a live anti-viral, one old gentle cow, try to cut down on the dust, cover your ears and tough it out!

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

My Hereford bull has tried to be friends with them, but I have never seen fence walkers like these.

 

[dun]

It alwasy seemed to me that older calves are alwasy harder to wen abruptly then younger ones. More attached to the momma I guess. In your case it isn;t feasible, but fenceline weaning sure cuts down on the weight loss, ruts along the fences and the need for ear plugs.

dun

 

[TheBullLady]

Dun.. what were you drinking when you typed that last post? ;-) You're generally so eloquent.. and don't usually get your fingers on the wrong keys

 

[dun]

Dun.. what were you drinking when you typed that last post? ;-) You're generally so eloquent.. and don't usually get your fingers on the wrong keys

I only see three or four mispellings, for me that's pretty good. I usually have more then that when I speak

dun

 

[cherokeeruby]

Nothing I like better than a calf that is terribly attached to it's dam and a cow that will jump a gate or go through a fence to get to her just weaned calf is my kind of cow.

Just tells me to put in a higher gate or build the fence stronger.

 

[TXBobcat]

If they tore up your pen, I would suggest you patch it up a good as you can, put them back in the pen, and let the bawling begin. Make sure they have fresh water, some kind of hay to munch on, and maybe some creep pellets or some type of supplemental feed.

I just put a 7 mo old heifer in the pen Sunday. She's been bawling for a few days now, but it gets a little better everday. Probably keep her in there 3-4 weeks for weaning. Her mother is on the outside of the pen in the pasture. I think this works best for weaning - calf in a good sturdy pen, cow on the outside. Niether one can get to the other, but they can get as close as possible without tearing up or going thru pasture fences.
After only one day, the cow has went off with the rest of the herd, returning sometimes in the evening to bed down in the area with the herd.

 

[Frankie]

I just bought 2 Beefmaster heifers yesterday. One is 6 months old and one is 8 months old. Niether of these heifers are weaned and they were still sucking on their mommas when I picked them up. They have bawled like crazy since I dropped them off in the lot yesterday and they both broke out since last night. I have them and the rest of my cows in the lot right now tryin' to calm them down. How long does it take to wean these heifers? I have bought young calves straight off the teat before and never had a problem like this. I bought these young heifers because I knew the momma cows and they were pretty docile and broke to checkers (range cubes). Those Beefmaster cows must be pretty good mommas for these young heifers to miss them like they do. Does anyone have any advice for me?

Offer them fresh water and hay for the first day. After that, take them some sweet feed twice a day, in addition to the hay. After three days, our Angus calves generally aren't looking for their momma, they're watching for me to take them a bucket of feed. The biggest calves are usually the hardest to wean here; their mommas are the heaviest milkers. But generally by the fourth day, the calves are more interested in my bucket than they are their mommas bawling outside the corral. Later you can turn them out on grass, though if you're growing these girls out to be bred as 15 month old heifers, I'd continue to give them some sort of grain.

 

[greenpasture78]

They should quit bawling from a week to as long as three weeks. They will be entirely weaned in a month. During the weaning period your calves will lose up to 60lbs or so... No matter how much you feed them, they still lose the weight during weaning period...it is because they are losing all the milk fat from their mommas.... Over time, their bodies will adjust to the grass diet and start gaining weight again. I do agree with others: buy ear plugs!

 

[Agnes]

I had the same problem with my Beefmaster heifer I bought a month ago, she bawled all night and all day for almost 4 days. She paced the fence for 3 days and tore up all the grass along the fenceline. She finally quit and now is just a big love bug. Keep yours in a secure pen and wait it out. Good Luck,and i would invest in those earplugs like the others said.

 

[Anonymous]

The youngest heifer is doing better, but the oldest heifer is still bawlin' and walkin' the fencelines. My nerves are taut right now because if this heifer gets out , there is no way of ever catchin' her.

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

UPDATE: These heifers are now the most docile cattle in my herd.

 

[bolsen]

well thats good to here fence walking is natural after weining nothing uncommon about it