Quiet Wean flaps

[nocows]

I've read the various posts on here about the experience people have had with the weaning flaps, I would like to give it a try seems that most people like them overall. I've done research and from what I am reading in the reviews of the products the quiet wean brand is the way to go. There is a site that sells both the quiet wean brand as well as another brand, I'd really like to try the quiet wean brand but they are only sold in packs of 25 I only need two.......The site sells the other brand individually but it doesn't get very good reviews, people are having issues with fitment and flexibility some people commented that they are too tight and will leave abrasions in the calf's nose.

Sooooo I guess the question is should I spring for the 25 pack of the "better" flaps? is this something I will use and continue to use for years to come? I will eventually need more than just 2 but hate to spend the money for the 25 pack just to try 2 of them out. At them same time I don't want to cheap out and buy the others and have a bad experience with the whole concept of the weaning flap.

Just looking for some opinions if more people are using them and if they continue to use them.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Not sure in US, but this site will sell them by the singles

http://www.farmersfarmacy.com/gc/gc_ite ... =wean&Z9=0

 

[nocows]

Guess I didn't look hard enough I just assumed they had to be bought in bulk. Thanks for the link.

 

[texan@heart]

I've used the orange and the green gladiator looking flaps. I much preferred the green flaps. They were easier to put in and take out. Fewer bloody noses as well. They look a lot worse than they actually are. The cows and calves just continue as they were all summer. I threw the wing nut away lost prob about 2-5% over the years. When you pen them back up or feed them in a trough is when you lose them. Drastically reduced our need for antibiotics and shrink in the calves.

 

[nocows]

I've used the orange and the green gladiator looking flaps. I much preferred the green flaps. They were easier to put in and take out. Fewer bloody noses as well. They look a lot worse than they actually are. The cows and calves just continue as they were all summer. I threw the wing nut away lost prob about 2-5% over the years. When you pen them back up or feed them in a trough is when you lose them. Drastically reduced our need for antibiotics and shrink in the calves.

How long did you leave yours in?

I am planning to take mine out tomorrow which will be 6 days at that point I will separate them. From what I've researched that should be enough time and they should be fine once separated.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Here is an article comparing 4 ways to wean:
https://www.drovers.com/article/compari ... ng-systems

 

[JMJ Farms]

Here is an article comparing 4 ways to wean:
https://www.drovers.com/article/compari ... ng-systems

I've read countless articles on cows and calves. This one surprised me! I know that it's only a study and not written in stone but it surprised me nonetheless. Thanks for posting Jeanne.

 

[nocows]

Here is an article comparing 4 ways to wean:
https://www.drovers.com/article/compari ... ng-systems

That was a good article although I am kind of surprised on the results, guess I will see how mine do this time around. I like the idea of fence line weaning just wasn't sure how hard it would be on the fencing.

When I remove the flaps tomorrow I plan to put the calves in a separate pen, if I do decide to keep these two heifers when can I put them back together?

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

That is a great question, that will have tons of different answers. Some will say a few weeks. If you NEVER want to have a "sucker", you leave them separated until you breed heifers. If you put them together fairly quickly, you may get away with it for many years. But, if you get one to go back sucking, you create a monster that is really tough to ever get totally weaned. I bought a heifer I ended up having to put a bull ring with spikes in her nose to keep her from sucking a 2-yr old with twins.
Edit: To say the least, it is totally embarrassing to have people walk thru the herd and see her.

 

[cowgirl8]

That is a great question, that will have tons of different answers. Some will say a few weeks. If you NEVER want to have a "sucker", you leave them separated until you breed heifers. If you put them together fairly quickly, you may get away with it for many years. But, if you get one to go back sucking, you create a monster that is really tough to ever get totally weaned. I bought a heifer I ended up having to put a bull ring with spikes in her nose to keep her from sucking a 2-yr old with twins.
Edit: To say the least, it is totally embarrassing to have people walk thru the herd and see her.

We had a bull that i'd find nursing cows. He was put out at a 18 months along with the older bulls , but this was his 3rd year breeding.....He's in with 6 other solid black bulls so I tried to remember which one. We only brand our bulls so, I just couldn't remember when they were all together because they all look alike... BUt, this year we got them up in stages, old bull, pin head (injury), the youngest, broken penis..that left 2 and he did it in the corral when we got them up to get them out. Had a poop smear on his side so easy to ID. Pulled his azz out and hauled him off...

 

[Nesikep]

I found boredom and confinement can lead to them becoming suckers again... I had a couple heifers have the notion, but once they went on pasture they didn't think about it anymore.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Calves don't gain anything really in the first month no matter how you wean them, I'd bet most go backwards in abrupt weaning. Thats why if you're gonna keep them, you better keep them atleast 60-90 days. And even then its often hard to come ahead much.

 

[nocows]

So... flaps have been removed and I've separated them. Strange thing is the calves could care less, guessing they were happy to have the flaps removed.

I've got them separated by two pens if they stand in the right spot they can see each other but it's a stretch. Calves are careless and free but..... one of the dams is having a hard time. She's bellowin and carying on. I'd chalk it up to the calf still nursing but best I can tell the flap did it's job she hasn't nursed in about a week. Not to mention calves are fine haven't heard either one of them make a peep.

So far those are my results just wanted to share my experience.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Cows will still make noise, calves usually do not unless they were still managing to nurse. My cows go back out to pasture, so I don't care what noise they make, calves are kept in my yard.

 

[Ebenezer]

That is a great question, that will have tons of different answers. Some will say a few weeks. If you NEVER want to have a "sucker", you leave them separated until you breed heifers. If you put them together fairly quickly, you may get away with it for many years. But, if you get one to go back sucking, you create a monster that is really tough to ever get totally weaned. I bought a heifer I ended up having to put a bull ring with spikes in her nose to keep her from sucking a 2-yr old with twins.
Edit: To say the least, it is totally embarrassing to have people walk thru the herd and see her.

We had a bull that i'd find nursing cows. He was put out at a 18 months along with the older bulls , but this was his 3rd year breeding.....He's in with 6 other solid black bulls so I tried to remember which one. We only brand our bulls so, I just couldn't remember when they were all together because they all look alike... BUt, this year we got them up in stages, old bull, pin head (injury), the youngest, broken penis..that left 2 and he did it in the corral when we got them up to get them out. Had a poop smear on his side so easy to ID. Pulled his azz out and hauled him off...

There is a genetic element to it.

 

[farmerjan]

We abrupt wean; due to facilities and when they come off pasture and get moved to the barn to do preg checks for the cows and all sorts of factors. But we also wean later than some and the calves are eating and grazing and not getting alot from the cows. But our Red Poll cows have a terrible time, they all are very "mother" oriented and will carry on for days when everyone else has gone off and quit worrying about the calves. I fine the calves do better if they have been where we have started feeding a bit at the bunk and they have learned that to come in and get feed is a really good thing. Some places we have a creep gate and the calves get fed a little separately and they learn real quick to come in through the creep gate and don't get too upset when I close the gate and they can't get back out. We do not keep creep feed available 24/7 but they learn that when we come to the pasture, that if they scoot in the creep gate, they get to eat without being shoved out of the way by a big cow. I also find that it works easier if the calves can stay in a familiar place and the cows get moved. The cows get interested in grazing/eating at the new place and the calves are more comfortable if they are in a familiar place and don't carry on as long.

Also, our heifers do not get back with any adult cattle until they have calves of their own. They do better and get fed better after weaning if they are not competing with adult animals, and we breed them to easy calving bulls and they calve out separately and I can watch them at a closer pasture. Have had a couple go back on a cow when they were put back so it just doesn't happen anymore.