Weaning

[Horticattleman]

I'm very new to this so please be patient. I bought a pair. The cow is 5 mos. bred, but has a 1-2 month old calf with her. The guy I bought them from says the mother of the calf and the calf got split. The calf took to this bred cow and he let em stay together. Is this ok even though she's pregnant. If so when should I wean the calf from the cow?
Thanks so much

 

[msscamp]

I'm very new to this so please be patient. I bought a pair. The cow is 5 mos. bred, but has a 1-2 month old calf with her. The guy I bought them from says the mother of the calf and the calf got split. The calf took to this bred cow and he let em stay together. Is this ok even though she's pregnant. If so when should I wean the calf from the cow?
Thanks so much

Are you sure about how far along the cow is? If so, this is not a good scenario because the calf is putting demands on this cow that should be going to her developing calf. We generally give our cows 4 months or so from weaning to calving so they don't get drug down. On the other hand, if this calf is 1-2 months old, the calf is a little young to be weaned. Do you have any other weaning or bottle calves? If so, I would set up a creep feed type thing, get this calf on solid food and pull him/her the moment he/she is eating pretty good. If you can incorporate the other calves into that creep feed scenario they will teach this one to eat faster. Just my thoughts.

 

[rkm]

What breed is the cow and how old is she?

 

[Horticattleman]

Angus 6 years old

 

[rkm]

If the cow is in good condition I would leave the calf on her for at least 30 to 45 days and try to encourage it to eat dry feed. Grass should be good this time of the year and should not pull the cow down too much. Just my thought.

 

[msscamp]

If the cow is in good condition I would leave the calf on her for at least 30 to 45 days and try to encourage it to eat dry feed. Grass should be good this time of the year and should not pull the cow down too much. Just my thought.

I don't care how good the grass is, it is not good enough to provide adequate nutrition for a lactating 6-year old cow, who is 6-7 months bred (in another 30-45 days) and supporting a growing calf, to maintain her condition. While grass does provide good nutrition, all of that nutrition will be going to produce milk at the expense of her developing calf. If I recall correctly, the heaviest requirements of a developing calf are placed on the cow in the last trimester - hence the 3-4 months off between calves. Just my thoughts.

 

[jgn]

Leave the calf on her till she's 8 months along and the calf is 5 months and then wean the calf, if she's keeping up her condition they should both be okay.

 

[milkmaid]

Cow needs a full 60 days dry...regardless of what you do with the calf.

FWIW, I know a beef guy who keeps his calves on until the cow is 60 days from calving...you do the math. He has some monster sized 10 month olds! :lol:

 

[KMacGinley]

I would'nt worry about it. If the cow is not getting rail thin, let her continue. I would increase her feed her at least 2 months before she is due and wean the calf a month before she is due, like was said above.
One thing I would say is that with millions of cattle out there, why buy an obvious problem pair like these two?

 

[S.R.R.]

If your situation was ideal you would wean the calf off a good 60 plus days before your cows delivery date. You though are not in a ideal situation and so all three are going to have to give a bit.

#1 Be sure your cow is getting minerals, protien and good grass.

#2 Leave the calf on another 75 days. During which you are intraducing it to grains ect.

#3 After you have weaned your calf put the feed to your cow until delivery. Be sure you start slow with the feed.

#4 Sit down and have a cold one. Things will work out just fine.

 

[Bama]

Leave the calf on her till she's 8 months along and the calf is 5 months and then wean the calf, if she's keeping up her condition they should both be okay.

How is this possible??

 

[Farminlund]

Bama - to answer your question:

The cow is 5 mos. bred, but has a 1-2 month old calf with her.

Assuming the higher number for the calf (ie 2) - add 3 to each & you get 5 & 8. The ma will be 8 months along & the calf will be 5 months old.

 

[Bama]

My mistake I went back and read it from the beginning. I see how now. It wasn't her calf. It was split and she took another calf. The numbers didn't work out until I realized it wasn't her calf. I was reading it like she was eight months bred with a 5 month calf at her side that was hers.

 

[Horticattleman]

KMacGinley: To answer your question of why buy a problem. Please refer to the beginning and read how I said that I am new to this and if I knew it was a problem do you THINK I would ask the question.

 

[Horticattleman]

Hold old should a calf be before it is weaned under normal circumstances (not the crazy situation I am in)

 

[msscamp]

Usually around 6 months. Some wean sooner, and some wean later, though.

 

[Susie David]

Calves are normally weaned at 205 days.
Listen to Msscamp...the fetus develops over 70% of it''s size in the last trimester and thus makes the heaviest demands on the cow for nutrition. The fetus will take what it requires from the cow regardless of what the cow needs to maintain it's condition. IMO, I'd wean the calf when the cow hits the six month mark. The calf wil need more than pasture and hay.
Have you determined the nutrition content of the cow's groceries and supplimented the cow accordingly?
Just my two bits worth...Dave Mc

 

[milkmaid]

Depends what kind of cow and calves you're talking about. :lol: I weaned off a group of bottle calves recently that I doubt averaged much over 4-5 weeks of age. Just didn't want to feed that amount of milk replacer - pricey! The beef guys take 'em out to 6 months of age on the cow. I never take healthy bottle calves over 8 weeks. (On the other hand, I have a pair of 8 month olds on a nurse cow, LOL.)

And of course dairy cows are dried off at ~220 days of gestation (7 months) as they need 60 days dry or they sure don't produce very well.

 

[msscamp]

Depends what kind of cow and calves you're talking about. :lol: I weaned off a group of bottle calves recently that I doubt averaged much over 4-5 weeks of age. Just didn't want to feed that amount of milk replacer - pricey! The beef guys take 'em out to 6 months of age on the cow. I never take healthy bottle calves over 8 weeks. (On the other hand, I have a pair of 8 month olds on a nurse cow, LOL.)

And of course dairy cows are dried off at ~220 days of gestation (7 months) as they need 60 days dry or they sure don't produce very well.

There is a very big difference is bottle calves (usually raised under less than optimum conditions) and a calf on his mother as nature intended. You're comparing apples to oranges with this post as no one is their right mind would even consider weaning a calf off his mother at 4-5 weeks of age. Just my thoughts.

 

[milkmaid]

That's true.