Weaning by the signs?

[El_Putzo]

We do all of our weaning by the signs, usually when it's anywhere except the head, neck, or heart. The further it is from the head, the better, or so I've been told. Does seem to make a difference, trust me, my dad lets me know about it every time we wean. It also matters quite a bit, when you're weaning corrall is about 200 ft from your bedroom!!

Castrating, now that's a different sign. If the calf is young enough that we can still catch it in the pasture, and it has male genitalia, we cut it right then. If the calf is too spunky to be caught in the open pasture and has male genitalia, we wait til we get it in the corrall, which may or may not be at the correct zodiac sign. :lol: :lol:

 

[sidney411]

Fitz - I think your problem has more to do with the fence then the signs.....

I would never expect a calf to stay behind 4 strand barb wire or 2 strand electric with momma on the other side. IMO

 

[Rod]

I wean when the signs are in the feet just beacause my help ,who's an old timer, said so and we've not had any problems by doing so, on the other hand I've used medic24"s signs as well.

 

[dun]

Fitz - I think your problem has more to do with the fence then the signs.....

I would never expect a calf to stay behind 4 strand barb wire or 2 strand electric with momma on the other side. IMO

I have to go along with the fence being the problem, or the calf not broken to hotwire. We've fenceline weaned with a single sometimes double (it depends on the terrain) for many years and have never had a calf or a cow cross over. But our calves are behind hotwire from the day they're born and by the time they're weaned they stay clear of the wire, or for that matter a piece of white cotton string strung a couple of feet high

dun

 

[fitz]

After thinking about it you are both right. I agree on the barbed wire not holding the heifer. The area where she was born and spent most of her six months here there wasn't a lot of hot wire for her to be really broke to it. So, I'm at fault on this one. As the old saying goes, most of my problems are self inflicted. But, due to the fact she went thru both fences I figured it would be too easy for her to repeat in the future. I've never had much luck with ones that will really work a fence. Anyway, she's gone now. Thanks for the input.

fitz