Two stage weaning

[cross_7]

[youtube]bPsw3VfjH8s[/youtube]

 

[Bigfoot]

I think lucky p does that. Seems to me like a good way of going. I try to wean mine, and keep em a 6 or 8 more weeks. I know they melt the first week the way I do it.

 

[jedstivers]

We did fence line weaning last fall and it was real similar.

 

[NC Liz 2]

I leave my calves on the cow until she weans them or untill the day I send them to the sale barn.

This sounds like some more of that " sustainable beef " definition crap!
I think real cattleman have better things to do rather then doing two or more roundups per year.

Using two stage weaning, how many round ups do you have to do if you breed year round?
Liz

 

[cross_7]

Must be awful dark in there

 

[Aaron]

There are more articles coming out nowadays about leaving the calves on the cows. Idea is to follow dairy cows and only have a 45-60 day dry down. Sounds like a good idea. I have left calves on till 7-8 months of age with no problems. I have 3 test pairs that I left together this winter. Calves would be hitting 9 months now and the cows have not suffered a bit - calves are just as big as the ones I weaned in November.

 

[jedstivers]

Must be awful dark in there

Yep.

 

[Bigfoot]

I leave every calf on till 8 months. Always have. It still gives them 4 months to rest.

 

[Lucky_P]

Been using the quiet-wean nose blabs for several years; previously, we 'weaned on the trailer' - but that's not good for the calf, the next person down the line - or the beef industry as a whole.
We have confined spring & fall calving seasons, so all calves in a group are within a few weeks of the same age when weaned.
Year-round calving...I dunno...I'm not planning to go back to a 'no management' system. Before we started this, I'd sometimes have a cow calve out while the previous year's heifer was still nursing - makes it hard for that new baby to get a good start.

Nose blab insertion works in well with the final pre-weaning vaccination here. Calves are typically held and fed a little for 2-6 wks prior to sale.
We try not to leave them in longer than 4-5 days - noses start getting ulcerated and goopy if you go much longer. Have had well less than 1% of them manage to get 'em out, and maybe ONE that figured out how to nurse with it in. Have been re-using the same batch for 3-4 years. I just drop 'em in a bucket of soapy water to soak, hose off the worst stuff, and run 'em through the dishwasher(don't tell my kids!)
Almost no bawling by the calves once we pull the blabs and separate 'em from the cows (separated by a 16-ft alley) cows may call for the calves for a day or so, if we don't move 'em out.
Didn't use 'em with one group a year or two back, just separated cows & calves, and after dealing with constant bawling right behind the house, the farm manager said, "Never again."

 

[cow pollinater]

I've done fence-line weaning for the last three years where I wean them in the corrals and leave everything open to where the cows can come right up. It has worked really well. There is not much bawling, the calves get right on hay, and by day three the cows are gone and the calves are quiet.

 

[NC Liz 2]

Lucky

Year-round calving...I dunno...I'm not planning to go back to a 'no management' system.

Since when is year round breeding considered "no management"?

FYI, year round breeding requires more management skills and time then seasonal breeding.
With year round breeding you spend a lot more time with your animals looking out for train wrecks by making breeding and marketing decisions etc.
My day job is my cattle!

I think you are confusing hobby farmers with real ( for profit ) cattle operations.

IMO, the reason so may people have weaning problems is the fact that they wean their calves to young.
Liz

 

[Tim/South]

This is the first time I have seen a video of how the nose flaps work. Impressive.
It appears the flaps can be reused.

 

[randiliana]

We used them here a couple years ago. Not a big problem since we round up to weigh them we just waited to weigh closer to the weaning date. I think they made a big difference in how the calves weaned off. Would have used them again this year, but my DH is sometimes hard to convince about things.

I see no reason that they couldn't be reused, they are a hard plastic that is easy to clean, and unless they were broken wouldn't be an issues with reuse...

 

[NC Liz 2]

Do they make them for puppies, kittens and human babies?
Think about it!
Liz

 

[Bigfoot]

Do they make them for puppies, kittens and human babies?
Think about it!
Liz

This is one of a few innovative, and unique discussions we have had on here in a while. Oh yea plus your comments.

 

[cross_7]

Do they make them for puppies, kittens and human babies?
Think about it!
Liz

la cabeza por el culo

 

[slick4591]

Anyone experimented with the spikes down to the calf or up to the cow?

 

[randiliana]

You know, Liz, I see no reason to get upset about using them. No one is going to make you do it, if others want to, what's the harm.....

Oh, and we're a full time ranch here, running the ranch is 24/7 operation, we calve once a year tho.....

 

[Aaron]

Anyone experimented with the spikes down to the calf or up to the cow?

It only works if the spikes are pointed outwards. Point downwards, they just rest against the calf's lower lip.

I've seen a few of mine over the years learn that if they tilt their head and use their tongue to grab a teat, they can use the teat to flip the ring up so it rests on the bridge of their nose while they suck.

 

[jedstivers]

My cattle are just a hobby. The real bills are paid off the row crops.