I have a heifer who needs to be weaned. Her mother isn't giving a lot of milk at this point but having to do so is starting to take a toll on her. I know the ideal thing to do is separate them, but I only have 6 cows total and an open barn, so nowhere to put her. One option is to build a pen, which I can do with some panels, but she will be by herself and she will be very unhappy I'm sure, since everyone else is out in the pasture. She is the only young one I have right now and I don't want to put another cow in there with her because I am afraid she will try to suck and pick up a bad habit. I also don't want her to hurt herself trying to get out and be with her friends. My grandmother suggested putting some liniment on her mother's udder to make it taste bad and discourage the calf. Don't know if it would work or make her sick. Any other suggestions? I have a kant-suck ring but I really don't want her to get it caught out in the pasture somewhere and tear her nose all to he11. Thanks, ideas are welcome.
Need weaning help
- Thread starter LoveMoo11
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Bez+
Well-known member
Lots of solutions but the only true guarantee is to separate - build a pen and put her in
She will get over it
Bez
She will get over it
Bez
Bez+
Well-known member
LoveMoo11":2hxemgcd said:
I have had failures at all levels of time.
Anyone who has raised animals and says otherwise is telling tales or has a lot less experience than they let on.
Best guarantee - even then there is risk - is to have the mother with another calf at side and the original calf with calf at side.
Seen them suck with the calf.
No guarantee - period
Not what you want to hear. Some will say six weeks - I will say longer.
You get a failure you essentially have trained them to suck and now it WILL take time - bestter to toss them if this happens
Only your animal will know for sure.
Seems to me you have been doing this for a while - why you lining up the questions tonight - I figured you knew this stuff?
Bez+
Bez+
Well-known member
LoveMoo11":1c4cz17t said:
Stick a wire through the calfs nose and tie it on.
Little difference than running a ring through.
Never liked using the mechanical means - separation is always best in my mind.
Bez+
hillsdown
Well-known member
I don't like them that mush either but Knersie has had great success with them so that has to account for something. LM go to your ag supply store and ask for a weening clip, they will know what you mean; make sure you get the right size for her.
Another local rancher on here posted pics a while back and he uses the for all of his weenings with success.
Another local rancher on here posted pics a while back and he uses the for all of his weenings with success.
hillsdown
Well-known member
Bez+":1kyi2d7h said:
Tonight ??????????? My time says 2 pm Bez..
:lol2: JK'ing I know you are hours ahead of us where you are at.. 
Farmgirl
Well-known member
We have had good luck with weaners (blabs). Yeah, some calves will learn to suck with it in and sometimes a calf will lose it. We put them in and leave cow and calf together. Almost no bawling. Usually it is the cow wanting the calf to suck rather than the calf bawling.
We have had better luck with the kind that have a wing-nut than the one piece ones. Check with Jeffers or Valley Vet. Calf may need to wear it 6-8 weeks. Also, if you can fix a creep feeder for the calf he will be far less inclined to want to suck. Calf with plenty of feed is easy to forget mama.
My 2 cents,
Farmgirl
We have had better luck with the kind that have a wing-nut than the one piece ones. Check with Jeffers or Valley Vet. Calf may need to wear it 6-8 weeks. Also, if you can fix a creep feeder for the calf he will be far less inclined to want to suck. Calf with plenty of feed is easy to forget mama.
My 2 cents,
Farmgirl
LoveMoo11
Well-known member
Bez+":19v4r7y7 said:
Well I have never really had this type of situation before...we used to have a big herd and we'd have big groups of calves weaning at a time and it wasn't a big problem to separate them because we had the facilities. My grandfather has since sold off most of the herd except my 6 that we are keeping to be the foundation for my farm which i hope to be getting after I get out of school in a couple years. We sold the homeplace and moved so things are quite a bit different...I am the one making decisions now and I just want to make good decisions. Thanks for your help.
HD & Farmgirl-I do have a weaning ring I just didn't feel comfortable putting it on her where they are out in the pasture-she's likely to do more damage then good with out luck! They are grass fed so I don't have creep set up...she's eating very well on pasture. Thanks for sharing/ideas
CKC1586
Well-known member
If you have an automatic watering system and use the weaners, chances are they won't be able to drink....
I use Quiet Wean nose flaps and I've never had one tear his nose. The only time I've had them lose one is eating out of a bale ring or fighting for feed out of a bunk. And if they can't drink from a fountain I'd get something bigger than a coffee can for them. They'll have no trouble drinking from a fountain.
Farmgirl
Well-known member
I didn't really know but sounds like Moo may have a weaner that goes through the nose like a bull ring? How about it Moo?
The weaners we used I don't think it would tear the nose up. They would probably lose the weaner before that would happen.
Farmgirl
The weaners we used I don't think it would tear the nose up. They would probably lose the weaner before that would happen.
Farmgirl
LM ~ how old is your calf? Good idea not to put something on the cows udder. It is less common in cows that they will allow a calf that is not theirs to nurse from them ~ so if you put her in with a cow as opposed to a bred heifer, you should reduce your risk of that happening (unless the cow has a history of allowing others to nurse ~ if she has not, she should not).
Are you concerned about the fact that a cow you are going to be using as seed stock for your future herd (and her heifer calf) cannot maintain weight on pasture while nursing a calf? I am wondering if circumstances would allow for that, or if you should consider just selling the heifer calf and the cow (which is why I asked about age of calf)..... What are your thoughts? Maybe there is an environmental reason?
Are you concerned about the fact that a cow you are going to be using as seed stock for your future herd (and her heifer calf) cannot maintain weight on pasture while nursing a calf? I am wondering if circumstances would allow for that, or if you should consider just selling the heifer calf and the cow (which is why I asked about age of calf)..... What are your thoughts? Maybe there is an environmental reason?
LoveMoo11
Well-known member
Farmgirl-it is similar to a bull ring, but I don't think it connects but kinda hooks in with little balls on the end. I believe it is called a Kant-suck. I don't think she would tear her nose too bad, but I don't want her to get caught on the bale ring or something like that. I might just give it a try and keep an eye on her. We have a tub for water so she won't have any problems drinking.
Angie-the calf is ten months, there's no reason for her to be nursing. The cow can hold her own, she taped at about 1,150 last month, but I don't want the calf to continue sucking on her when we have a rough winter ahead and the cow is also bred back. I considered just selling the calf but I really like her and would like to keep her. Thanks for the ideas everyone.
Angie-the calf is ten months, there's no reason for her to be nursing. The cow can hold her own, she taped at about 1,150 last month, but I don't want the calf to continue sucking on her when we have a rough winter ahead and the cow is also bred back. I considered just selling the calf but I really like her and would like to keep her. Thanks for the ideas everyone.
SRBeef
Well-known member
Can you fenceline wean some how? IF you have a fence in good shape just add a hot wire to one side of it - the calf side at about calf nose height and let them see each other but just can't nurse.
Here are a couple pictures of pairs meeting along my weaning fence yesterday. Every one is pretty calm. Cows making a bit of noise with udders full as you can see but put the cows, yearling heifers and bull grazing standing corn today so things have quieted down even more.
Seems like it would be easier if the calf had a buddy on her side of the fence also. Can you borrow another calf to keep her company? They need to be separated for a couple months to make sure she doesn't go back to nursing. As Angie said, if the cow condition is being pulled down by this calf you need to wean asap and get that cow in better condition before winter.
Here are a couple fenceline weaning, day 2 pairs meeting along the fence. Good luck.
Jim
Here are a couple pictures of pairs meeting along my weaning fence yesterday. Every one is pretty calm. Cows making a bit of noise with udders full as you can see but put the cows, yearling heifers and bull grazing standing corn today so things have quieted down even more.
Seems like it would be easier if the calf had a buddy on her side of the fence also. Can you borrow another calf to keep her company? They need to be separated for a couple months to make sure she doesn't go back to nursing. As Angie said, if the cow condition is being pulled down by this calf you need to wean asap and get that cow in better condition before winter.
Here are a couple fenceline weaning, day 2 pairs meeting along the fence. Good luck.
Jim
Loch Valley Fold
Well-known member
The easiest way I've weaned calves is with an "Easy Wean" nose ring. You place it in the nose tighten it up & let the calf out the spikes on the ring stops the calf from sucking its momma. i've used it very successfully on heifers that I'm keeping for future breeders & have used it on 2 dairy heifers that were sucking each other
Lucky_P
Well-known member
Quiet Wean nose blabs are the bomb.
http://www.quietwean.com/
Cheap, plastic, reusable, easy to apply and remove. No need for piercing the nasal septum and no screws/nuts to tighten.
We put 'em in for about 7-10 days before we separate cows & calves. No bawling.
Have had a couple that managed to get 'em out, and one that figured out how to nurse in spite of it, but all in all, they're the way to go.
Low-stress for cow, calf, and you.
http://www.quietwean.com/
Cheap, plastic, reusable, easy to apply and remove. No need for piercing the nasal septum and no screws/nuts to tighten.
We put 'em in for about 7-10 days before we separate cows & calves. No bawling.
Have had a couple that managed to get 'em out, and one that figured out how to nurse in spite of it, but all in all, they're the way to go.
Low-stress for cow, calf, and you.
