First Time Weaning

[Lazy M]

Unless you've been creep feeding it'd be better to slowly build up the grain ration so none founder

Good point about too much grain to quick. We start ours out at maybe a pound twice a day then gradually ramp them up

I've always been curious why you can creep feed smaller calves as much as they want with no issues but the same feed will get a weaned calf down unless you warm them up gradually

 

[dun]

Unless you've been creep feeding it'd be better to slowly build up the grain ration so none founder

Good point about too much grain to quick. We start ours out at maybe a pound twice a day then gradually ramp them up

I've always been curious why you can creep feed smaller calves as much as they want with no issues but the same feed will get a weaned calf down unless you warm them up gradually

We don;t creep so I don;t know for sure. I think it may have to do with them not eating as much creep because they have milk to drink/eat so they aren;t as hungry

 

[Rafter S]

I have a neighbor who weans his calves on the trailer wheels. His fences are not the best and his momma cows show up here looking for their calves.

I'm surprised to hear that the cows left looking for their calves. I wean my steer calves on the trailer and have never had a problem. Now if you move a cow and leave her calf behind, that's asking for trouble.

 

[Tim/South]

Most cows will sleep by the fence close to the calf. I have noticed that cows and calves pair up at night when still together. They may not pay much attention to each other during the day but come night time they want each other's comfort.
After 3 days most cows will stop sleeping by the fence.
Give the calves all the feed they want during the first days of weaning. Helps replace the milk they are missing in their belly. Our calves usually adjust to weaning sooner than the momma cows.

Unless you've been creep feeding it'd be better to slowly build up the grain ration so none founder

I do not feed grain. We feed a pelted feed to the calves. Not sure the feed difference makes a difference. I do creep feed young calves and feed the older calves through a creep panel. I have offered pellets free choice to 4 wt. calves that had never seen feed. It takes a while for them to even learn it is good to eat.
Grain or sweet feed may be different.
Only one time did I have a problem with one calf and that was when we fed soy hull pellets.

 

[nathan arizona]

So far so good. Going to move the mommas tomorrow. Only hiccup has been that the new high dollar charger that I just ordered knocked off and the cheap tractor supply charger that I already had is working as a sub. No issues though other than the irritation of trying to figure out how to return the new one.

 

[TXMike]

Hopefully I can get mine under control. I got one bull calf that's the biggest baddest looking calf and he's the biggest baby. He's busted out twice and crys all night. Hes tore up my fences pretty good. The rest don't even follow him out. The mommas have free range of the place so it's not really fencing weaning. They normally come up and stay with the calves at night.

 

[Huntet02]

As a Totally New beginner me and hubby are learning so much on here. Course we love to learn most things the hard way so we NEVER forget! :lol: We just separated our first heifer to wean by herself(wish we could have won lottery then coulda bought 20pairs all together but didnt work out). I know its never supposed to be done with only one calf but weve' only got 1 that needs weaned so put her with our cutting horse..... its day 4, i keep waiting on my neighbor to show up on my doorstep from all the bellering. This heifer was eating off 2 cows, plenty big and a pain. Will put weaner ring on her this weekend and ship her back to the cattle pasture, hope ring stays on until we can fix fence to separate others. Again you folks are sure wonderful, we need assurance on all these topics. Gracias!

 

[Kell-inKY]

Is this too far apart for fence line weaning? I need to pull a momma onto the left side with the bull and 2 other cows. I have the gates chained down already due to the bull figuring out how to lift them but if the cow really wanted to she could push through this fence I suppose, or try and get out through the electric perimeter. And yes, I know the boards are on the wrong side, had to have our drive look good so it is what it is. Also, these are normally well mannered cattle, just never separated before, thanks.

 

[M-5]

Cows will be fine I would run a stand of hot on the Calf side . They will be the ones that test the fence

 

[rockroadseminole]

Heard a guy talking about some plastic nose flaps he was using for pre-weaning. Puts them in the calves noses and when they try to get on the tit, the flap blocks it. Let's the calves wear them for a few days prior to weaning. Claims once separated he is having very little balling, and more importantly less walking. They get used to eating grass and drinking water prior to separation.

I've never heard of this. Sounded like a good idea to me. Has anyone ever used this method?

 

[dun]

Heard a guy talking about some plastic nose flaps he was using for pre-weaning. Puts them in the calves noses and when they try to get on the tit, the flap blocks it. Let's the calves wear them for a few days prior to weaning. Claims once separated he is having very little balling, and more importantly less walking. They get used to eating grass and drinking water prior to separation.

I've never heard of this. Sounded like a good idea to me. Has anyone ever used this method?

I don;t know what search you would have to do to find it, but it's been discussed a number of times on here. Some folks love them, some hate them.
If you search for "blab" (what they are usually called by old timers) you might come up with something

 

[rockroadseminole]

I don;t know what search you would have to do to find it, but it's been discussed a number of times on here. Some folks love them, some hate them.
If you search for "blab" (what they are usually called by old timers) you might come up with something[/quote]

Blab. I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

 

[dun]

I searched for "nose flap" and came up with a bunch, a lot of which doesn;t have any bearing on the subject. Here's a link that does: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=99846&p=1273161&hilit=+nose+flap+#p1273161

 

[Supa Dexta]

This video explains it

https://vimeo.com/64337257

I use them, and they work.

 

[jedstivers]

Fence line is the only way to go I feel.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I used to fenceline. But now that I'm setup to use these paddles its amazing the difference. Not a peep out of the calves, no pacing, no time off feed - they just stand there and eat and lay there and sleep. Out of a group- some that have been weaned a while, and others that I just took the paddles off of, You wouldn't be able to pick out which is which.

Only the cows cause a little bit of stir looking for their calves, but that only last a day and not very intensely, no real bawling from them, mostly just roaming. I move cows about 1km away, after having the paddles on 4 or 5 days.