Early weaning??

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Alan

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I have a cow that has a tumor(?) and no I won't see a Vet (she is an older cow and has a SBI). I'm thinking about shipping her as a slaughter cow while the prices are high, rather than waiting until fall (weaning) when prices drop. The heifer calf is just over 2 months old, the cow is a very good cow. If I decide to ship the cow soon any suggestions on the calf as far as weaning her out without the cow... ie; bottle, bucket, calf supplement? She (the heifer calf) is eating grass, but not close to being weaned and mom is going down hill and dropping weight.

Thanks,
Alan
 
I've actually seen 2 month old's make it on there own. I wouldn't want to do it though, too risky. I would think the better option would be to start the calf off now with the newer supplements that are like a souped up feed. After the calf is eating that, then ship moma - maybe 2 weeks or so. Once the calf is used to getting food from you, you have a lot of options. I'm too old (lazy) to bottle feed. ;-)
 
Alan":b1on7fbe said:
I have a cow that has a tumor(?) and no I won't see a Vet (she is an older cow and has a SBI). I'm thinking about shipping her as a slaughter cow while the prices are high, rather than waiting until fall (weaning) when prices drop. The heifer calf is just over 2 months old, the cow is a very good cow. If I decide to ship the cow soon any suggestions on the calf as far as weaning her out without the cow... ie; bottle, bucket, calf supplement? She (the heifer calf) is eating grass, but not close to being weaned and mom is going down hill and dropping weight.

Thanks,
Alan

The chances of getting a 2 month old calf transitioned onto a bottle are not good, but that is not to say it cannot be done. If I were in your situation, I think I would get the calf used to eating grain prior to shipping Mom and go from there. Weaning at 2 month's is not ideal, but it can be done with little to no repercussions to the calf.
 
The chances of getting a 2 month old calf transitioned onto a bottle are not good

I agree.

Get the calf on a good creep feed for atleast a month and then sell the cow, or sell them both now.
 
KNERSIE":hltm8bru said:
The chances of getting a 2 month old calf transitioned onto a bottle are not good

I agree.

Get the calf on a good creep feed for atleast a month and then sell the cow, or sell them both now.

Any chance with good feed the calf will grow to her same potential as she would if she stayed on a healthy cow? I fear the cow will stop milking and ruin them both.

BTW, I can tell you're on the boards now, but on my side of the egg it's past 11 pm..... time for bed. I'll pick this up in the morning.

Thanks Harley,
Alan
 
Any chance with good feed the calf will grow to her same potential as she would if she stayed on a healthy cow?

Yes its very possible, its just costly to try and keep her growth up with the rest. If its a heifer and I assume it is, try and hit 750lbs at the start of next breeding season, you don't need anymore growth than that. She will catch up with the rest in time.
 
If you plan on selling the heifer at normal weaning weight anyway, the economics are not there to supplement it for that length of time. I would sell them both unless there is some emotional or genetic gain to be had.
 
if her tumor is visable or they can tell she has probs.they will dock the fire out of her.an only give you .15 or.20 cents a lb for her.you would be better off letting her die on the place.than take a serve beating at the sale barn.
 
bigbull338":2h2bkz0k said:
if her tumor is visable or they can tell she has probs.they will dock the fire out of her.an only give you .15 or.20 cents a lb for her.you would be better off letting her die on the place.than take a serve beating at the sale barn.
.15 to .20 cents a lb beats a straight out loss and the hassle to dispose of the carcass.
 
BC":xqlq07ur said:
bigbull338":xqlq07ur said:
if her tumor is visable or they can tell she has probs.they will dock the fire out of her.an only give you .15 or.20 cents a lb for her.you would be better off letting her die on the place.than take a serve beating at the sale barn.
.15 to .20 cents a lb beats a straight out loss and the hassle to dispose of the carcass.
aint that the truth,
 
bigbull338":1bo9obwt said:
if her tumor is visable or they can tell she has probs.they will dock the fire out of her.an only give you .15 or.20 cents a lb for her.you would be better off letting her die on the place.than take a serve beating at the sale barn.
I have never understood where anyones reasoning comes from, on making comments like this
I guess they are independently wealthy and a couple $100 is nothing to them
a mature cow at 1200lbs x.20 equals $240

letting the cow die on the farm = $0

so I guess in this new math $0 is more than $240

the hassle of hauling her to the barn is equal to the hassle of disposing so I think you still come out ahead selling her
 
Angus Cowman":32r2t3ci said:
bigbull338":32r2t3ci said:
if her tumor is visable or they can tell she has probs.they will dock the fire out of her.an only give you .15 or.20 cents a lb for her.you would be better off letting her die on the place.than take a serve beating at the sale barn.
I have never understood where anyones reasoning comes from, on making comments like this
I guess they are independently wealthy and a couple $100 is nothing to them
a mature cow at 1200lbs x.20 equals $240

letting the cow die on the farm = $0

so I guess in this new math $0 is more than $240

the hassle of hauling her to the barn is equal to the hassle of disposing so I think you still come out ahead selling her
well id rather let her die on the farm.than haul her to town an the sale barn not accept her.the sale barns do have the right to turn down any cows an calves that are real sick looking.plus if she dies at the sale barn they can hang the owner with a $400 disposal bill.i wont send a cow to the sale barn that i know is sick.or that has cancer eye.no need in putting that meat in the stores for people to eat.
 
last springs calf crop born at the end of March thru April were weaned on June 4th. Mommas went to town - calves had not been creeped prior to weaning. by the middle of the second day post weaning, all the calves were eating out of the bunk - never had any sickness. It cost a lot of cash keeping grain to those calves, and their weights were off about 50 lbs from prior years weights at normal weaning time. although i was expecting the worst - calves not eating, getting over stressed, sickness, death loss, etc... things went much MUCH better than expected...but i'll never do it again!!!!!


ROB
 
ROB":2ksnx88e said:
last springs calf crop born at the end of March thru April were weaned on June 4th. Mommas went to town - calves had not been creeped prior to weaning. by the middle of the second day post weaning, all the calves were eating out of the bunk - never had any sickness. It cost a lot of cash keeping grain to those calves, and their weights were off about 50 lbs from prior years weights at normal weaning time. although i was expecting the worst - calves not eating, getting over stressed, sickness, death loss, etc... things went much MUCH better than expected...but i'll never do it again!!!!!


ROB

Was that because of drought?
 
KNERSIE":lab58uen said:
ROB":lab58uen said:
last springs calf crop born at the end of March thru April were weaned on June 4th. Mommas went to town - calves had not been creeped prior to weaning. by the middle of the second day post weaning, all the calves were eating out of the bunk - never had any sickness. It cost a lot of cash keeping grain to those calves, and their weights were off about 50 lbs from prior years weights at normal weaning time. although i was expecting the worst - calves not eating, getting over stressed, sickness, death loss, etc... things went much MUCH better than expected...but i'll never do it again!!!!!


ROB

Was that because of drought?

no...health issues with a partner...he needed to reduce stress level so he got out of the cow/calf business, i also took advantage of the opportunity and culled off half my cows.

ROB
 
Rob,
Do you think it cost you much more money to ship the cows and grain the calves, rather than feeding the cows to weaning and then ship them? I'm thinking about this with 1 heifer calf out of a 29f bred cow. Part of my thinking is I feel I can get a better price for the cow now rather than waiting until fall when the market starts to get flooded and she may start really dropping the weight.... and yes she will go only as a slaughter cow. She has something starting to block her bladder and uterus, but still has a BCS of 7 or so.

Thanks,
Alan
 

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