weaning calves

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iafarmer07

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just out of curiosity, i have a few questions about your calving and weaning procedures. i know what i do, but i would like some input on what everyone else does and how it works for them. when do you calve? when do you wean? when and at what age do you normally work your calves? how long do you keep your calves after weaning before you sell them? at what weight are they normally weighing when you sell them?
i was just looking for some input to see if maybe i could change anything in my cycle.
i normally calve late january/early febuary to the middle or end of march. i normally wean my calves around the middle to end of july. i normally keep my calves around after weaning for 60+ days depending on what the prices are looking like. i normally work my calves after all the calves are born and they have all had a few weeks to ensure they all can handle being worked.
thanks for your input
 
iafarmer07":1xvy7cwt said:
just out of curiosity, i have a few questions about your calving and weaning procedures. i know what i do, but i would like some input on what everyone else does and how it works for them. when do you calve? when do you wean? when and at what age do you normally work your calves? how long do you keep your calves after weaning before you sell them? at what weight are they normally weighing when you sell them?
i was just looking for some input to see if maybe i could change anything in my cycle.
i normally calve late january/early febuary to the middle or end of march. i normally wean my calves around the middle to end of july. i normally keep my calves around after weaning for 60+ days depending on what the prices are looking like. i normally work my calves after all the calves are born and they have all had a few weeks to ensure they all can handle being worked.
thanks for your input

Calve in May. Breed back in Aug. Wean in late Nov, early Dec. No set working times, though I know others do. For the most part ~ weaning, but not enough experience yet to say "This is how we do it"
Keep calves till finish for butcher, sell direct to consumers. We are small enough that this is not a problem. I don;t anticipate it being a problem in the future though. Almost forced to sell this year due to hay prices.
Normally start the finish when they are a year. Butcher at about 15 months. Some of this is subject to change as we adapt from bottle - finish, to cow/calf operation. Are still small time.


Interesting post!
 
Calve march to mid april. Work the cows and calves in mid to late april. Start breeding late may. Wean the calves in october or november, hichever is handiest. Fenceline wean, after the third day move the cowsto the back pastures. Precondition the calves for 30-45 days. Most go to a backgrounder for comingling and sold in potloads to feed lots. A few we'll keep as replacements and when the others leave the replacements go back to the cow herd for the winter. The few that aren;t kept for replacements or sent to the backgrounder we'll keep around till spring then haul to the salebarn or sell private treaty. Calves range from 6-7 weights when they're sold.
 
iafarmer07":3d76ud9n said:
just out of curiosity, i have a few questions about your calving and weaning procedures. i know what i do, but i would like some input on what everyone else does and how it works for them. when do you calve? when do you wean? when and at what age do you normally work your calves? how long do you keep your calves after weaning before you sell them? at what weight are they normally weighing when you sell them?
i was just looking for some input to see if maybe i could change anything in my cycle.
i normally calve late january/early febuary to the middle or end of march. i normally wean my calves around the middle to end of july. i normally keep my calves around after weaning for 60+ days depending on what the prices are looking like. i normally work my calves after all the calves are born and they have all had a few weeks to ensure they all can handle being worked.
thanks for your input

Heifers start calving Feb 1. Cows Feb 15, and usually done by April 1.

Vaccinate all cows late April and worm, calves get first round of shots as well.

Work calves again approximately 2 weeks prior to weaning. Wean around Labor Day, and vaccinate again. Seperate any bull calves to sell from rest of calves and feed seperately, and they go to a bull development center in late October.

Background remaining calves for about 90 days.

Pull replacement heifers and sell remaining calves at local Stockyards. Most calves will weigh 6-7 when sold.
 
about a month prior to turning bull in with cows, give cows shot of preg-guard gold and pour with ivermectrin. also give baby calves nasalgen at this time (IBR/PI3).

when calves are about 180 days old, they get their 1st round of shots: IBR/PI3, 7-way blackleg w/homopholus somnus, pour with ivermectrin, cut bulls and knock-off any horns. About 3-4 weeks later, calves get their second round of shots and have been weaned off the cow for 1-2 weeks. any replacement heifers that will be registered are calfhood vaccinated.

calves are weaned off the cow in a short-lot, cows stay on the other side of the lot fence. calves are started on cattle-charge pellets with a little corn over the top, increasing the amount of corn a bit every day (also mix in a little 4-g's to the ration and depending on the conditions keep corid pellets on hand to use if needed), good quality hay is available free choice.

ROB
 
We start calving about Mar 5 and go til about April 30. Calves get worked in late April to early May usually in 2-3 different groups. We vaccinate calves with an 8-way and also give them a shot of injectable Ivomec. Cows get Express 10 (BVD, IBR, PI3, etc) at the same time. Then they go to pasture. Bulls are put out in late May and brought back in in late July. Calves are weaned in October or November, depending on the market. They will weigh 500-650 by October, 600-700 by November. They come off the cow and go directly to the sale barn, where the big group of steers will sell as one owner, and everything else will be graded (sorted) in with other producers cattle.
 

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