Weaning time?

[fnfarms1]

Here in NE Oklahoma we typically have hot dry July and August weather ie. 95+ heat, so it's a poor time to wean calves due to heat and dust. So I typically wean mid September if I can catch it below 90 and sign is right. However yesterday and today it's been 85ish and the forecast is projecting 80-87 for the next week. My calves were born Jan 24- March 21, so if I weaned now the youngest would be 4 months old, oldest closer to 6mths. There are 33calves
I have 16 first calf heifers that I want to help stay in decent shape. I don't plan to sell until Oct-Nov, selling steers and worst end of heifers through sale barn. Market my best 15 heifers, sell 10 retain 5.
In oklahoma you never know about the weather so I hate to miss this cool down and the sign is right Aug 1-10, which I won't wean against the sign.
My bulls have been oUT with my cows since may 15th,and will come off mid august.
Question is, Is this weaning to early? I know alot of guys that wean at 7-8mths. This will pUT me feeding them longer. But I plan to implant steers only again and I'd get the most good from the implant before sale too.

 

[kenny thomas]

Implant them if it's time and wean at 7-8 months. Weaning at 4 months means the cow gets an 8 month vacation. She needs to be making you money not laying around on vacation.

 

[TCRanch]

We moved calving back to end of Feb/beginning of March because of too many frostbitten ears and now wean mid-to-end Oct. We pull the bulls a minimum of a month prior to weaning and every heifer calf gets a shot of Lutalyse so we can sell (or retain) guaranteed open. We wean generally 45 days but the past couple years the market has been down so much we let them graze the winter brome field and sold in Jan. Yes, it has cooled down but if you're like us (probably not much further north) there still hasn't been much rain, therefore very dusty and not conducive to weaning - especially since this slight cool-down most likely won't last more than 10 - 14 days. My 2 cents? I'd hold off.