CCCowman
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How long do you wean calves? I've been told anywhere from 7 days to 30 days.
weaning question
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Supa Dexta
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Wean them before what? Selling them? Returning them to their mother?
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CCCowman
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Supa Dexta":m1qsweyb said:
returning to momma.
Supa Dexta
Well-known member
Mine don't see them again for 6 months at the earliest, if not a year, but I have the pens and pastures to do so. Some guy's push it and try a month.. But I don't need sucking problems in the cow herd later on down the road.
We keep them apart for about 6 weeks. Only once had a problem with one going back to sucking and that wasn;t until she was a year old and the cows started calving again. Then she became a thief, sucking from any cow that would let her. We ate her!
Any retained heifers aren't back with their mama's for over a year, after they're bred & no inappropriate nursing (eweeee, Dun! Hope she was tasty 
). But the majority of them do hook back up with their mama's - we have generations that are always together.
). But the majority of them do hook back up with their mama's - we have generations that are always together.Currently we have 3 fall calving cows with calves at side that are with the recently weaned calves. We're wintering the bull with the bred cows and to simplify things decided to run the weaners and the cows with calves together. The calves had been weaned for about a month when we turned the nursing cows and their calves in with them. They've been together now for a couple of weeks and no return to nursing. I wonder if the fenceline weaning helps.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Usually it takes about a month but it will depend on the cow. Every one is different. A week might work for some cows.
Also, I wean by the almanac. Some people get upset each time I mention this but that's what I do.
Also, I wean by the almanac. Some people get upset each time I mention this but that's what I do.
farmerjan
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We are very careful to do castrations by the almanac/signs; and we only dub the roosters during the right sign....
Our calves don't go back with the cows for probably 2 years as we run them in age groups and have enough different places to keep them separate. The heifers are kept separate and bred in a group and calved in a separate group and don't usually see their mommas til after their 2nd calf. It works better for us to be able to watch them and feed in different groups. I keep all the first calf heifers at the pasture where I have my dairy/nurse cows when they are calving and can feed and keep closer watch on them. Have had trouble with a calf going back on a nurse cow after more than 6 months weaned once or twice...they get sold or put elsewhere until they are sold or bred.
Our calves don't go back with the cows for probably 2 years as we run them in age groups and have enough different places to keep them separate. The heifers are kept separate and bred in a group and calved in a separate group and don't usually see their mommas til after their 2nd calf. It works better for us to be able to watch them and feed in different groups. I keep all the first calf heifers at the pasture where I have my dairy/nurse cows when they are calving and can feed and keep closer watch on them. Have had trouble with a calf going back on a nurse cow after more than 6 months weaned once or twice...they get sold or put elsewhere until they are sold or bred.
Count me in as another one that weans by the almanac. I have no idea if it "works" but a lot of seasoned ranchers swore by it when we got started and we've never had bawling (by mama's or calves) more than a few days. Not actual fence-line weaning either, the calves are in a pasture across the road where they can see/smell the mamas but the calves are also already used to cubes and most of them are hand-feeders.
How old are the calves? What breed are they? What kind of set up do you have to wean calves?
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CCCowman
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Brute 23":3i2v1yhj said:
I only have 7 to wean. All are right at 6 months old. Angus x Limousine.... 5 girls, 2 bulls. All are pushing 500 lbs.
I have 35 acres but I don't have it sectioned off to separate for weaning. I could take them to my dad's place about 20 miles away. It's that a good idea?
We've raised calves for years. Dads gone and this is my first time with cow/calf. I have more questions than I ever thought I'd have.
Heres one of the bulls
I've never tried nose flaps but others have with success. Might be worth looking in to as an alternative to hauling them to your dad's ranch. Nice looking bull calf
TiftonBeefmaster
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dun":4n19oeov said:
We used the fenceline weaning method with the last batch and it worked pretty well. Now we are using the flexible nose rings made by "Quiet Wean" to see how they work out.
CCCowman":jkroicsu said:Brute 23":jkroicsu said:
I only have 7 to wean. All are right at 6 months old. Angus x Limousine.... 5 girls, 2 bulls. All are pushing 500 lbs.
I have 35 acres but I don't have it sectioned off to separate for weaning. I could take them to my dad's place about 20 miles away. It's that a good idea?
We've raised calves for years. Dads gone and this is my first time with cow/calf. I have more questions than I ever thought I'd have.
Heres one of the bulls
You might consider just leaving them on the cows or selling straight off the cows. If your not really set up to wean it can be more of a PIA then its worth.
I don't think there is a set time. You can kind of look at the calves and usually tell by how they are acting. Im a firm believer in feeding them a little every day. They don't leave the pens until they know what that feed is all about. Then they can be turned out in to a trap or some thing for grass.
farmerjan
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We usually sell the steers right off the mommas as it just works better, but that also depends on the buyer or if they go to the stock sale. But they are in the 6-8 month range normally, and we have been giving them a little feed to get them to come to the bunks and learn what it is all about and so that they are not clueless when they go. The heifers usually get to stay til 8 months or so, and then we make our first culling, send the ones we don't like to the market, and then the rest will get moved to the other farm. Again, they are used to what feed is, although we don't creep feed. Is there a specific reason why the 2 are still bulls? It will discount them at the sales and with prices down so much even the .20 difference will hurt. Are you trying to keep the females for replacements? If they are real good then by all means...but there are alot of bred cows and heifers around for really cheap prices compared to 2 years ago and it would be a faster way to increase numbers if you want to do that. Not knowing your situation, I think I would maybe sell the calves or try a weaning flap for a couple heifers, or just haul a couple to your dad's place this time around, and get some more fencing and cross fencing done with the money you get from selling the rest of the calves and get yourself a little better positioned to have some flexibility next year with weaning and such. Electrified netting could give you some options too, and it is a much more visible "fence" for the younger ones than just a regular electric fence.
customcattle
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We have used the Quiet Wean nose flaps in the past and they do work well. One thing to remember with them is they are not meant to be in the calves nose long term (5-7 days max). We had them in for 7 days and had a significant number with sores in their noses where the flap sat. Of those that had the sores we only had a few that we had to doctor, but I can guarantee it would have been significantly worse had we left them in any longer.
