Adam Freeman
Well-known member
Looking for help or suggestions. First time weaning my calves. Have 14 total that we are trying this fence line weaning on. Caught them all up in the corral on the 27th and sorted off the mommas. They mommas have hay and feed bunks right outside the corral where i have been feeding the last few weeks prior as well as mineral all summer so they are used to it. Held the calves in the corral for 2 days then let them out into our small 5 acre pasture where they have access to prairie hay and oat hay as well as feed bunks for cubes and water. those first 2 days in the corral they bawled some but not much ( mommas bawled more) after that they were fine and no bawling. they eat and are doing well not trying to get back through the fence to the rest of the herd. took about 5 days before the mommas would wander very far from the hay rings or the fence line other than to go down to the pond and get water, Now they are usually out grazing when we come check on them. As soon as they hear the truck they come up to the fence line but other than that both groups seem to be doing well.
Question is am I doing this right or should there be something else I should be doing. They all had there vaccinations end of sept and I am weaning for 45 days for the first Vacc sale in January. There is another in Feb if the market looks like it might improve more as well.
I also forgot to mention besides they hay and water they have a 250 pound 40% protein tub to work on as well as I give them a 50 pound bag of 20% range cubes every so often. I had the Oat hay tested at 15% protein as well but not sure what the prarie hay is tested at. it is this years and came from a very good clean field. I did not get a weight on the calves before we weaned them but a scale is one the list if I can make it through the first few years. Hoping this all works out just worried and nervous about selling my first batch of calves to pay uncle sam and the bank.
Question is am I doing this right or should there be something else I should be doing. They all had there vaccinations end of sept and I am weaning for 45 days for the first Vacc sale in January. There is another in Feb if the market looks like it might improve more as well.
I also forgot to mention besides they hay and water they have a 250 pound 40% protein tub to work on as well as I give them a 50 pound bag of 20% range cubes every so often. I had the Oat hay tested at 15% protein as well but not sure what the prarie hay is tested at. it is this years and came from a very good clean field. I did not get a weight on the calves before we weaned them but a scale is one the list if I can make it through the first few years. Hoping this all works out just worried and nervous about selling my first batch of calves to pay uncle sam and the bank.