Weaning by the signs

[Chris H]

Well, we're weaning on the 12th of Oct because we got the vet out here on Friday for cutting, dehorning, & vaccinating. I'm waiting 2 weeks, and then they get weaned, vax booster, wormed, & weighed.

 

[3waycross]

Well, we're weaning on the 12th of Oct because we got the vet out here on Friday for cutting, dehorning, & vaccinating. I'm waiting 2 weeks, and then they get weaned, vax booster, wormed, & weighed.

Hpefully you will let us know how it goes. Better, worse or no difference!

 

[Chuckie]

I separated my calves yesterday, and last night, they all laid down and all was quite. This morning, the mamma's were bawling for the calves as I am sure they would like for them to have come out to nurse. The calves were calm and grazing and not paying them much attention. I have had the calves coming in to eat for the last three weeks to eat grain to prepare them for weaning, and all came in but one heifer. She is the only one that seems to be missing her mamma. When she puts her head in the trough, she nibbles at it, but is not so happy with it, but she will come around. She is a heifer out of my "Dumb" family. I am hoping that she isn't going to take after her sister and mamma. She has some other relatives that turned out OK.
Right now, the cows are quite. Knock on wood!

 

[Chuckie]

Today, everything is very quite. Yesterday, the heifer that has never come up to feed, was throwing a fit. Last night she was quite, and today she is silent. She ate like she had been eating grain all her life, and they are eating hay. So, all is well. The mamma's are grazing and not standing by the fence.
It now seems that I am the mamma with the feed bucket. Is that cool or what? :roll:

I went to the farm where my husband has a few of the registered calves and spotted a heifer that I had to have. He would have put her in the commercial herd. WHAT A WASTE!! I told him I would swap her for two bulls, and he told me he was going to pick 4! :shock: :shock: :shock: One is a huge bull that could be sold as a commercial bull, and the other is thick and eye appealing. So I am not sure where he is getting two extra.

He needs to consider what it would be like to wear the same shirt to work for a week without it being washed? :nod:

 

[Chuckie]

I was going to vaccinate today, but I received my vaccinations yesterday, and the ice packs melted. I ordered them, and I had my companies mixed up. I thought they added the styrofoam liner in the box with the vaccines, and they didn't. It was just a cool pack with bubble wrap and when it got here Next Day Air Saver by 5:30 the next afternoon, the vaccine was warm. They are going to replace it, but they wanted me to pay for the insulated box and an extra pack and they will re-send it.
Valley Vet always adds the styrofoam box to keep everything cold if you wonder why it cost a bit more when comparing prices. Now I will have to wait till Tuesday. It might be better to let the calves settle down a bit.

 

[Double R Ranch]

Is there a reason you don't vaccinate while still on the cow? There immune system is already being stressed by weaning. To add vaccinations/processing to the mix might end up with some problems. Just wondering.
What company did you order from that would even think of shipping vaccinations like that? Id like to know so I don't order from them

 

[Chuckie]

I ordered from Jeffer's, but they are a really good company. I always have had good service from them. I have received coolers from them before, and I don't think I ordered them, but I can't remember for sure. It only costs five extra dollars. Valley Vet is a good company too, and their order was higher, but it included the cooler. So, they are not that far off.
Jeffer's has really good prices, so don't count them out. Just be sure to mark that you want the styrofoam box.


I like to wean them first, then give shots because they are easier to get up in the corral when you are feeding them. When the mamma's are with them, they just teach them to panic and get in the way. It squishes the babies, and the other big cows want to run over the smaller ones when you are trying to get them going together in a tight spot. Sinc I have to do this by myself, things are much simplier when I can vaccinate one size at a time.

I have registered cattle, and I want to do my measuring at this time when things are on the calm side too. Not a lot of Mamma's staying all upset.

It takes a bit of time to change the chute from toddlers to Plus size for the Mamma's. So I will run the babies through, then bring the Mamma's through the next couple of days after the babies have calmed down a bit.
Right now, they are pretty calm.

 

[Anonymous]

Weaned a load of heifers on the trailer today for tomorrow's sale. Seemed that they settled right down in the trailer and walked off like nothing happened. Hopefully they make use of the hay I had put in with them to minimize the shrink

 

[Double R Ranch]

I ordered from Jeffer's, but they are a really good company. I always have had good service from them. I have received coolers from them before, and I don't think I ordered them, but I can't remember for sure. It only costs five extra dollars. Valley Vet is a good company too, and their order was higher, but it included the cooler. So, they are not that far off.
Jeffer's has really good prices, so don't count them out. Just be sure to mark that you want the styrofoam box.


I like to wean them first, then give shots because they are easier to get up in the corral when you are feeding them. When the mamma's are with them, they just teach them to panic and get in the way. It squishes the babies, and the other big cows want to run over the smaller ones when you are trying to get them going together in a tight spot. Sinc I have to do this by myself, things are much simplier when I can vaccinate one size at a time.

I have registered cattle, and I want to do my measuring at this time when things are on the calm side too. Not a lot of Mamma's staying all upset.

It takes a bit of time to change the chute from toddlers to Plus size for the Mamma's. So I will run the babies through, then bring the Mamma's through the next couple of days after the babies have calmed down a bit.
Right now, they are pretty calm.

Thank you for the info on Jeffers. Id looked at them before but have yet to order from them. Good to know about the vac. shipping. Appreciated.
As far as processing your calves I know how you feel. It sounds like it works out better for you. Im guessing you haven't noticed any additional sickness issues etc? This is really good to know

 

[Chris H]

We weaned Saturday. We boostered the vax, oral wormer, and moved into pens in the barn. Cows went back to a drylot on 9% protein hay. They'll be moved to a corn stubblefield tomorrow. Calves are on free choice alfalfa hay, 24% protein and starting on a bit of grain. The cows are bawling more than the calves, but no one is hoarse. The calves will go out on stockpiled fescue in about a week.

The bawling was worse about 'feeding' time last evening, just sporadic today.

The calves that were dehorned & cut 2 weeks ago are completely healed. While we were working them I had the cows out on a new pasture so we didn't hear much bawling while we worked them.

Old bull went off, two young bulls are in a paddock to rest up for the fall breeding season. Got 1 heifer to calve any time, and 2 to calve the end of November(planned). The next week we'll concentrate on halter breaking about 12 heifers, we can already walk up to them so they'll have halters on them tomorrow.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

We weaned and vaccinated this weekend also. I did not notice a huge difference in the noise level, but we fence wean so they just walk back and forth for a bit, then the cows go graze for a few hours and come back to the fence.

 

[J&D Cattle]

I weaned some on Sat. We normally fence line wean but couldn't this time due to water limitations. I've not heard them as I stuck them in the lot at the farm and not by my house. They are eating the heck out of the hay and seem to be doing good.

 

[tnwalkingred]

I weaned 3 registered heifers I plan to keep as replacements this past weekend and they doing very well. Still making quite a bit of noise but it's bearable. We fence line wean here as well.

 

[Chris H]

I moved the cows to a corn stubble field last night. They were in the field 2 hours before they remembered they had calves someplace, :lol2: . The calves are still eating good. Halters are going on a few, the rest are still getting used to being touched.

I always worry about the heavy milking cows. Our best milking cow had her calf in late Feb, so she's been milking a bit longer than I normally wean. 1 day after weaning I considered milking her but didn't want that regular duty! Day 2 her udder was soft, so I figured she'd be fine. Maybe the sign of the moon means the cows will dry up better?

Bottom line, I'm not sure if the sign of the moon made much of a difference, but weaning has gone well this year.

 

[fitz]

I moved the cows to a corn stubble field last night. They were in the field 2 hours before they remembered they had calves someplace, :lol2: . The calves are still eating good. Halters are going on a few, the rest are still getting used to being touched.

I always worry about the heavy milking cows. Our best milking cow had her calf in late Feb, so she's been milking a bit longer than I normally wean. 1 day after weaning I considered milking her but didn't want that regular duty! Day 2 her udder was soft, so I figured she'd be fine. Maybe the sign of the moon means the cows will dry up better?
Bottom line, I'm not sure if the sign of the moon made much of a difference, but weaning has gone well this year.

I've made that statement everytime the question of weaning by the signs has come up on here.

fitz

 

[Chris H]

I moved the cows to a corn stubble field last night. They were in the field 2 hours before they remembered they had calves someplace, :lol2: . The calves are still eating good. Halters are going on a few, the rest are still getting used to being touched.

I always worry about the heavy milking cows. Our best milking cow had her calf in late Feb, so she's been milking a bit longer than I normally wean. 1 day after weaning I considered milking her but didn't want that regular duty! Day 2 her udder was soft, so I figured she'd be fine. Maybe the sign of the moon means the cows will dry up better?
Bottom line, I'm not sure if the sign of the moon made much of a difference, but weaning has gone well this year.

I've made that statement everytime the question of weaning by the signs has come up on here.

fitz

I'm sorry I missed that before. If that's been your experience then I'm going to make a real effort to wean by the signs from now on. We lost a Red Poll cross cow about 12 years ago because she didn't dry up, got mastitis and then things went REALLY bad. I don't want to go through that again.

 

[Nesikep]

one of our neighbors weaned last monday (first quarter of the moon), and his cows mooed for about an hour, and we haven't heard a peep from them since, I don't know how he does it, at our place it's usually a 2-3 day concert before they're settled down.
I'll be weaning on sunday and shipping monday

 

[torogmc81]

Update.

Will continue to wean by the signs as much as possible in the future. Definitely calmer cattle with calm winds for a few days for working and haltering breaking calves. Weather fronts moving in doubles their sensitivity.