nose flap weaning

[mtnhunter]

Anybody use nose flaps for weaning.? Ive got just a few calves to wean and this seems to be a less stressful method. Anybody have issues with them?

 

[Anonymous]

Sometimes they get pulled out somehow. The only benefit I see to them is they make the first week quieter.

 

[Lucky_P]

Been using 'em for several years. Skipped 'em with one group a year or so back - farm manager(wife) said, "Never again".
Cows may bawl a little for a day or two, but the calves don't bawl, walk fences, etc. Never seem to look back.

Have had less than 1% manage to get 'em out.
Have not seen one yet that figured out how to nurse with 'em in - but they TRY for at least a couple of days.
I don't like to leave 'em in for more than about 5 days - much longer, and they start getting sores, bloody/snotty noses.
Disadvantage: you've gotta catch 'em in the headgate twice - once to put 'em in, once to take 'em out.

 

[Lucky_P]

Oops. Double post.

Had a wild-@ss white heifer pop her noseblab out in the alley trying to turn around when we were pulling 'em on this last group we weaned. Was glad I didn't have to catch her; she'd have been shooting like a rocket through the chute.

 

[Anonymous]

When i was doing single calves, I had 2 of 4 figure out how to suck anyway. And another one figure out how to hang it up in some hay and pull it out not just once but twice.

 

[boondocks]

I wanted to use them but several folks warned me off who had seen them cut the dam's udder badly. We are having pretty good success (so far, knock major wood) using fenceline weaning. A few bellows (mostly mamas) then peace and quiet.

 

[dun]

I wanted to use them but several folks warned me off who had seen them cut the dam's udder badly. We are having pretty good success (so far, knock major wood) using fenceline weaning. A few bellows (mostly mamas) then peace and quiet.

There are several types of blabs. Some are no more then a flap that prevents nursing, others have sticking type pieces on the inside so that the calf gets poked if it trys to nurse, others have the same kind of deal on the ouside so the cow gets poked.
We also prefer fencline weaning

 

[Lucky_P]

Here's the one we use. I re-use 'em over and over - hose 'em off and run 'em through the dishwasher (don't tell my kids).
http://livestockconcepts.com/en/calving ... eaner.html

Have never seen 'em even so much as scratch the cow's udder - but there may be some of the old metal spike/crown types that could.

 

[CKC1586]

I wanted to use them but several folks warned me off who had seen them cut the dam's udder badly. We are having pretty good success (so far, knock major wood) using fenceline weaning. A few bellows (mostly mamas) then peace and quiet.

Worked for me. Wasn't too much noise from the little ones. I wouldn't mind hearing that noise these days......

 

[RedRockRanch]

I used the yellow spiky kind that has a wing nut to adjust tightness. Seems to have worked well. Although it takes them a little while to figure out how to keep it out of the way when eating grass and hay.

 

[snake67]

Snip......

hose 'em off and run 'em through the dishwasher (don't tell my kids).

LOL

I bet there are a lot of things that go through the dishwasher that would surprise people!

Cheers

Bez

 

[Lucky_P]

Yeah, and my kids get grossed out at the bags of frozen equine placenta we keep in the freezer to aid in wound healing...

 

[CKC1586]

Snip......

hose 'em off and run 'em through the dishwasher (don't tell my kids).

LOL

I bet there are a lot of things that go through the dishwasher that would surprise people!

Cheers

Bez

YUP!!

 

[mtnhunter]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I ordered some and guess I will give them a try.

 

[Chris H]

Yeah, and my kids get grossed out at the bags of frozen equine placenta we keep in the freezer to aid in wound healing...

What species do you use it on?

 

[Lucky_P]

Horses. Cuts below hock and carpus sometimes don't heal normally, and develop 'proud flesh'. Amnion works like a charm.
http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/h ... qamnion03/