Seperating Calves
- Thread starter DustyH
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backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Catch the calf sleeping with a belly full of milk right after birth. Throw some feed to mom if need be and sneak in on the calf. Inspect, band it and get out of there.
If you don't catch it then, or if mom is upset, get them in the pen and use the cut gate to separate. Squeeze moms in a medina and be quick. I run them through the chute as my last resort or if they have gotten older.
If you don't catch it then, or if mom is upset, get them in the pen and use the cut gate to separate. Squeeze moms in a medina and be quick. I run them through the chute as my last resort or if they have gotten older.
certherfbeef
Well-known member
backhoeboogie":2fuj2d86 said:
Not good advise for a beginner. Even a veteran that knows the "look" of an irritated animal can be had.
Been there done that with a cow that I've never had problems with in the past. Several circumstances added up to ear tagger, bander and 4 of my ribs being broken. The Lord was the only thing that stopped that cow's rage that night.
Be safe, put the calf in the chute where mamma can't get near you. Might take more time but you never know when you might have used up your last of the 9 lives.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
a working chute.. and a good dog comes in handy to keep moma occupied
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
We usually pen the herd, seperate the mommas out of the pen and work the calves. Sometimes I'll catch babies in the pasture, but only if someone is with me to keep the cow at bay.
TREY-L
Well-known member
Not exactly on the subject but, has anyone used one of those calf catchers (sold by Valley Vet, Jeffers, etc.) with the hook on the end, the kind that catches the calf by the back leg? If so, how do you like it?
Trey
Trey
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
one thing i would suggest every one to do is learn how to handle a rope. sooner or later it comes in handy
AngusLimoX
Well-known member
DustyH":3r0ja65b said:
In our set up they normally calve in an open barn. If the calf is in the barn on day 2 or 3 , and momma is out at the feed trough - close the barn door and have your way with the little tyke. Good time for petting the little ones as well. :lol: Momma may come to the gate and posture, but our gate is 6 foot diamond.
If calf is outside - momma is at trough, calf goes under arm and into barn. Gate closed.
I will not work a calf with a loose cow/bovine around. Calves momma or not. That little bawl calves make is like LSD to cattle, they go psycho.
Beginners especially gotta be SAFE when handling calves and you have to take your time and not rush banding/tagging/needling once you have the calf isolated. Doing these things while stressed by a cow wanting to mash you to a pulp guarantees you will mess something up. ( Don't ask me how I know! ). :lol:
Now I am talking 2 day olds - if for some reason we miss one or two,once they get big enough/fast enough to hurt you - then turnout time in a chute, or pinched/cut at weaning.
ALX
Outrigger2
Well-known member
i band the calves at birth while i can still catch them. as far as the calf catch, better use 2 hands. didn't really like it. trade for a rope any day.
Bez>
Well-known member
dun":1qopxs32 said:
Well I have an offer for you.
I happen to own <grin> a 17 year old, blonde, blue eyed, babe of a daughter who is helll on wheels with a rope. You need some roping done all you have to do is send her a plane ticket and provide a decent horse.
There is a catch though. Dad is a pretty stout and straight laced fella' and he also gets a plane ticket. She does not need a chaperone, but the boys might need me to protect them - she's a pretty good kick boxer as well. I have the bruises to prove it.
Oh, and finally - she has been after me to let her start flying business class. I will be darned if she gets a better ticket than me!!!
Bez>
Outrigger2
Well-known member
don't use horses. sorry....
Jogeephus
Well-known member
ALACOWMAN":1jc2mwfw said:
Ditto, but I prefer a hungry dog, when he swallows, it's definitely a steer. :lol:
DustyH":1x1r4ak5 said:
Unless it was the occasional late calving cow, castration was done enmasse at branding. 2 alleys, side by side, calves were sorted into the east alley, cows passed through the west alley and back into the corral. The east alley feeds into the sweep tub which has 2 exits, one feeds to the main chute, the other to the portable calf table. If we opted to not use the calf table, the calves could be caught, dragged out to a 2nd corral and wrestled. For the late calvers, east alley has a gate in the middle - mom on one side, baby on other side. I'm with LAX - I will not work a calf (for any reason) with mom in the same pen - I don't care how gentle she is! All it takes is one bawl, and you've usually got the whole herd breathing down your neck.
Re:
With the calves on the outside at days end close the gate to the creep feeder lot.
The next morning open the gate to the creep feeder lot and jump back out of the way and then close the gate when they are all in.
Sing or talk to them and walk them in the barn and into the chute.
Snip snip and your days work is done and no one was ever in danger from mamma and the calves were never in danger of being injured by being step on by mammas in the chute.
And it's all a two man operation.
Can you beat that?
SL
Easy as falling off a log.
With the calves on the outside at days end close the gate to the creep feeder lot.
The next morning open the gate to the creep feeder lot and jump back out of the way and then close the gate when they are all in.
Sing or talk to them and walk them in the barn and into the chute.
Snip snip and your days work is done and no one was ever in danger from mamma and the calves were never in danger of being injured by being step on by mammas in the chute.
And it's all a two man operation.
Can you beat that?
SL
Outrigger2
Well-known member
working/sorting calves is a lot like pushing water uphill thru a hose 
