Best way to wean

[colleen]

We have 2 bulls, 6 months old, that we need to wean. They have been on feed for the last 2 months, just wormed last week. One is going to someone to be used as their herd bull and the other will be going to the sell barn. What is the least stressful way in your opinion?
Colleen

 

[dun]

If they're bottle calves just quit giving them their bottle. If they are on the cow set up an area that they are familiar with so that they can be next to momma without nursing. It's called fenecline weaning. The cows generally make more noise then the calves but that all stops after a day or 2 at the most. The noise isn;t even very bad, just an occasioanl beller cause their udder is full.

 

[colleen]

Sounds good! We have them separated in a 2 acre lot. I think the bellering is hardest on ME!! We usually just load them up and bring to the sell barn but the one will be going to a friend, so i dont want it to get sick. If we put an older cow in with them, she yells more than the babys cuz she wants out with the others. Guess I'm just going to have to listen to it, hopefully just for a few days!

 

[dun]

Sounds good! We have them separated in a 2 acre lot. I think the bellering is hardest on ME!! We usually just load them up and bring to the sell barn but the one will be going to a friend, so i dont want it to get sick. If we put an older cow in with them, she yells more than the babys cuz she wants out with the others. Guess I'm just going to have to listen to it, hopefully just for a few days!

This is was pretty much normal for us. We weaned on Thursday, moved the cows to a pasture away fomr the calves on saturday then moved them to a back pasture on monday. Pretty much haven;t heard a peep out of them since the sunday following weaning.

 

[greybeard]

a little off topic Colleen but Just wanted to say my wife and I went to the Rice Festival Saturday and really really enjoyed it. Nice little Longhorn show as well as more food than a person has a right to enjoy in one day. Pretty good music too-- My wife is a city girl and said "I never saw so many cowboy hats in one place in my life>"
We'll put it on our schedule for next year too.

 

[colleen]

Greybeard! I'm glad you came! I haven't missed one in 43 years! Started out on the main street sitting on bales of hay. The gentz's have a lot of those longhorns. Gaining big popularity in Winnie too. More people here are starting to raise them! Did you make it for the band Saturday night? Called Bag of Donuts. We were all Leary but they were so good. A New Orleans band. Easton Corbin there on Thursday. He was great too. Yeah, Winnie is all about rice farming. I'm glad y'all came!!

 

[greybeard]

Yes, we stayed for the band Saturday night--was worried it would rain for a while when the front blew in. Lots of rice in and around Winnie, but not like there used to be. (I grew up around Baytown, and I know a couple of people in Winnie. My twin brother has a new house at Crystal Beach, so we go thru Winnie pretty often when he's down there. Lots of cattle history in Winnie with the White Ranch just down the highway. We almost always stop at Papa's for a steak and their fried mushrooms.

 

[colleen]

Yeah. We know the Whites. Graduated with Steven. Good people! I've lived here for 50 years. Moved here from Port Arthur when I was 4. Our last name is Fontenot. My husbands family has lived here forever. We love it. You will be sad to learn then that Papas shut down. Not many good places left, Al-ts, new place called Eds, supposed to be good and tiki too out on the hwy has really good steaks.

 

[greybeard]

Oh No! That is sad news--we don't do AlT's--got burned out on cajun food when we lived in Lafayette for 17 years.
Oh well, guess it's Whatburger and Dennys for us. I might try Tiki too tho--I saw someone buy steak dinner for 20 at the festival auction--it can't be bad--I think the winning bid was $1000.
Still waitin for 'em to call to tell me i won that saddle too.

 

[CKC1586]

I always used fenceline weaning. Easier on all of us. :tiphat:

 

[colleen]

My father-in-law, C.J. fontenot made the saddle. He's been making saddles by hand since he was a boy. You should check him out. Fontenot Saddles in Winnie. He can make just about anything you want. Just made a couple of alligator gun bags. Really nice!!