Early Weaning – Tips?

[UncleLA]

I'm selling an older cow that has a 3 ½ month old calf; however, I'm keeping the calf. As a result, I am going to be weaning the calf at about 3 ½ months.

This is a potential show heifer; so if at all possible, I don't want the calf to "miss a beat". Unfortunately, the calf has not been on creep feed. If I'm able to, I'm going to try to "fence-line wean" for about a week prior to shipping the cow off. Please give me any thoughts and ideas that you have to make this weaning as successful as possible Would it make sense to try to introduce the calf to a bottle for a couple of weeks until she becomes familiar with grain? What is the best ration to get her going? Wouldn't weaning with a "buddy" be better as well?

Thanks for all your input.

 

[CowCop]

~

Hi UncleLA,

If this is going to be your show heifer, it would behoove you, and benefit the calf, to leave the calf on the mom to get the full nutrtion and growth from the milk as long as possible ( at least 180-200 days ) AND also creep feed her grain.

Calves do better when left on a good mom. Grain mom to get her to make more milk for your show heifer.

Is there a reason you are selling the mom so early ?

If you must wean the calf early, start now feeding her grain in an area only she can get to and the mom can't.

I use a stall that the calf can get in and the cow can't. It is bedded with shavings and sometimes Canadian straw. I put the best quality hay in the low rack, a 14% sweet feed and a 16 % pellet in the bunk, plus loose mineral.
Also have a heated waterer in there if we wean in the cold cold winter months.

This stall is near where the cows come up and get their salt, water and hay as well.

While the adults eat, the calves scoot over to their special smorgasboard to eat, chat and snooze.

Yes, its always easier to wean with a buddy.

Good luck with your show heifer. Keep us posted.

 

[simangus23]

You can do it at 3 1/2 months, but what is your reasoning?
I wouldn't stress her out with a bottle training.
I would use a 14% calf grower to start at a very limited feed intake. A heifer calf weighing in at 300 lbs needs CP of 1.40

300 x 3% = 9lbs total consumption. Not a lot to work with here. a calf at 3 1/2 months is barely a ruminant animal and I too would rather leave her on her dam for a while longer.

Fenceline weaning should do well to relieve some of the stressors associated with weaning.

a 14% feed ration will almost get it done but not quite, but that is what I would work with.
Start her out with free choice hay for a few days, then start with 3 lbs of feed and go up every day in small increments until you reach maximum feed. CP of 1.4 would give her a 2 lb gain per day when on full feed. I would much rather leave her on the cow and creep feed her until weaning as I think that would get her further along --faster.

Sim

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I wean calves earlier than normal for show and/or sale. Of course, I am not on such a tight time frame (assuming you must sell right away). I generally, put the show calves in the barn during the day & out with mom at night for a week or so. They get used to being fed AM & PM without mom, but get the benefit of milk from mom.
The 14% grain ration is good, but I would add Calf Manna. It is a highly digestible protein that is a great replacement for mom's milk. Feed her 2X a day. 1# of 14% feed & 1/2# Calf Manna, with really good quality grass hay - full choice, but kept fresh. She won't eat her grain right away, but take away what she doesn't eat after a couple of hours, and give her FRESH grain next feeding. She should also have a great loose mineral in front of her all the time (or mixed into her feed).
Yes, she would be more content with a mate, but, you don't NEED to have another one with her.
If you can't seperate them DAILY, fence line weaning is great. That's how I wean my "normal" calf crop. Just make sure you have a really good FENCE!

 

[UncleLA]

Thanks for all the great thoughts and suggestions!

The only reason I'm considering doing this is because the cow is being sold and I wanted to retain the heifer calf. The buyer is willing to take the cow/calf pair and allow me to get the calf back at weaning; however, I was trying to save myself a 6 hour road trip in a few months.

 

[Keren]

Most important thing: the earlier you wean, the better you have to be at it. Any idiot can wean calves at eight or nine months. You have to have EXCELLENT management skills to early wean, and the earliest I have weaned calves is 2 months. If you can do it properly, it is a big money saver. It costs less money to feed a cow and a calf seperately than it does to feed a lactating cow with calf at foot, because turning grass into milk is inefficient.

Three more important things:

- yard wean
- 18 - 20% calf meal/pellets with no added urea, free choice oaten hay, minerals
- ensure good water supply

 

[KNERSIE]

If you have to wean now I'd take this pair and another pair and feed both pairs some grain in a long feedbunk so that the calves can also start to nibble on some grain. Once they get a taste for it start putting the grain in a creep feeder and make sure there is always grain available and that its very palatible with only natiral proteien and no urea. You can then either fenceline wean or put a wean nosering in both calves, after a few days you can just take the cow you're selling away. The calf will bond with the other cow to a certain extent and won't holler for weeks for her dam this way. Be prepaired to feed her heavily for a long time to get optimum results.