How long do you wait before reuniting cows and calves?

[Pat8484]

How long do you wait before returning weaned calves to the herd? How long does it usually take for cows to dry up after weaning?

 

[rockridgecattle]

We wait until the following fall for hiefers and the steers get sold.
Then they are not competing for hay from the older boss cows. When the hiefers are ready to breed they get their own pasture.

but here we feed hay 6-7 months,out of the year. Cows do not need as much to maintain good BCS as say a yearling or growing hiefer. At feeding 10 bales (5x6) a year gets costly. The adult cows get fat and the younger have a lower BCS score effecting breeding, growth.

 

[bigbull338]

as said most pen the heifers off till they are ready to breed.then turn them back with the cows.i guess you could put emm back with the cows after 4 months.

 

[dun]

6-8 weeks then back with the cow herd. Only had one that ever went back to nursing and that wasn;t even her mother, just the first cow that calved that would let her. She was good eating.

 

[Caustic Burno]

6-8 weeks then back with the cow herd. Only had one that ever went back to nursing and that wasn;t even her mother, just the first cow that calved that would let her. She was good eating.

Don't have that nursing problems as none of them stay the only reunion here is salebarn check with my billfold.

 

[msscamp]

How long do you wait before returning weaned calves to the herd?

Steer calves, bull calves, and cull heifers are never returned to the herd, replacement heifers are returned to the herd a couple of months prior to calving as 2 year olds.

How long does it usually take for cows to dry up after weaning?

A couple of weeks - give or take a few days.