early weaning
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bigbull338
Well-known member
id wean at 4 or 5 months.3 months is a tad early tobe weaning the calves.unless your culling their mommas.
1982vett
Well-known member
I don't see the advantage of weaning that early unless forage is not available to support the pair.
I think many club calf people wean that early, but they are also on a ton of feed at that age. But I guess it proves you can do it that young but I sure wouldn't be caught dead doing it.
What do you mean? Are you culling some cows? Culling the lower quality calves so you don't have to feed so many mouths? Both?
What do you mean? Are you culling some cows? Culling the lower quality calves so you don't have to feed so many mouths? Both?
I plan on culling (cows) deep this year for feed reasons. It would include some of the mommas of the calves. The earlier I cull the cows, the more I'll get for them as cow prices usually drop in Sept/Oct as more hit the market. But hearing the response, not sure the payoff would be there. I'd probably lose in calf growth and would have to buy more creep feed. But if I keep the cows longer, I'll have to buy more hay . . . don't look good no matter how you slice it.
bigbull338
Well-known member
ok cull the cows an wean the calves.an put the calves on feed an hay for 90 days.an then sale the calves in early fall.a calf will only eat 3 to 6lbs feed a day.an 5 to 10lbs of hay a day.so you can feed 4 calves hay an that would be enough to feed 1 cow.its cheaper to feed calves hay an feed than it is to feed hay an feed to the cows.
1982vett
Well-known member
angus9259":3eb950g1 said:
I have a theory that butcher cow prices may not fall off as they usually do. My reasoning is hamburger meat is going to be the choice as the household budgets gets squeezed.
angus9259":22a3illl said:
Put a pencil to hay costs of keeping the cows until the calves reach 5 months of age vs feed costs for the calves if you wean at 3 months of age. It seems to me that if you have pasture for the calves, you have pasture for their momma's and that would decrease your hay cost at least a little - and the calves will gain better on their momma's than they will on feed following weaning at 3 months. I honestly believe that 3 months is too young to wean, unless there is a catastrophic reason for it, and that you will be giving up significant growth and development in the calves. You might also want to put a pencil to the costs of hay vs price increase by keeping the cows a bit longer and selling when there is not such a glut on the market. Just a few things to think about.
lucky7chief
Well-known member
I think that's a little young. I'm not sure a calf's rumen is fully developed at 3 months. They will eat grass and hay but may not get the full value. If I were concerned about running out of forage, I'd consider selling as pairs.
They'd do okay being weaned at 3 months, but you'll be feeding a lot of grain. Better make sure it'll pencil out before you do it... grain in bulk costs me $15/cwt right now, and I'd hate to think what bagged grain costs. Feed good high quality hay or pasture, grain at 2 to 2.5% of their body weight, and they'll grow every bit as fast as a calf on a cow.
Had one set of 3 to 5 month old calves a few years back (bottle calves) that were gaining 3lbs per day on grain and alfalfa pasture, and they were Holsteins. Sometimes I can't even get that ADG on a cow.
Keep in mind they may lose a lot of weight after weaning -- would be better to creep for a week or two first.
Had one set of 3 to 5 month old calves a few years back (bottle calves) that were gaining 3lbs per day on grain and alfalfa pasture, and they were Holsteins. Sometimes I can't even get that ADG on a cow.
Keep in mind they may lose a lot of weight after weaning -- would be better to creep for a week or two first.
