Weaning

[Just Curious]

I know that a lot of you wean at 6 months... I have been going out to eight months...
Are there any negative side effects to waiting longer?
How long does it take the heifer to develop a good supply of Colostrum (sp) for the next calving?
TIA

 

[randiliana]

I know that a lot of you wean at 6 months... I have been going out to eight months...
Are there any negative side effects to waiting longer?
How long does it take the heifer to develop a good supply of Colostrum (sp) for the next calving?
TIA

The biggest problem would be the calves pulling the heifers down, especially if the forage is poor at the time like it would be in our area. I have heard that they start to develop colostrum around 6 weeks before calving. Don't know if it is true or not, but I kinda believe it.

 

[milkmaid]

How long does it take the heifer to develop a good supply of Colostrum (sp) for the next calving?
TIA

Speaking from a dairy perspective... cow needs 60 days dry or her milk production on the next lactation is greatly diminished. It's more noticable in 1st and 2nd lactation animals, after that it can be dropped to 30 days without a noticable change in breed-back time and milk production. But on a 1st calver, and especially with a beef animal!, you definitely need to give her at least 2 months dry.

 

[Dusty]

Hey, I have tried this last year and it worked out great for me... I have been weaning around 140 -180 days of age. I try to keep my herd in those calving groups also.. What the data shows is that when you wean early and place on a high forage diet along with protein sup. your calves Marbling and Grade tend to raise.. along with getting your cows and heifers the relief of raising the calf.. this takes care of the problems with the calf pulling the cow down, forage in pasteurs, and ability for the cow to recoup for the next calving season. What it has done for me is allowed me to leave the cows in the pasteur longer, get more bang for my buck feeding ( because a 500 weight calf gains better then a 800 weight calf for the feed amount ) and I can allow the cows to run on stalks and wheat pasteurs in the fall with little sup. I took it a step further this year, i calved my heifers starting 12-01 and they will be bred back Mar 1st and calves weaned 4/15. Cows will hit the pastuer without the calf. (It's my expierement)

 

[Cowdirt]

Hey, I have tried this last year and it worked out great for me... I have been weaning around 140 -180 days of age. I try to keep my herd in those calving groups also.. What the data shows is that when you wean early and place on a high forage diet along with protein sup. your calves Marbling and Grade tend to raise.. along with getting your cows and heifers the relief of raising the calf.. this takes care of the problems with the calf pulling the cow down, forage in pasteurs, and ability for the cow to recoup for the next calving season. What it has done for me is allowed me to leave the cows in the pasteur longer, get more bang for my buck feeding ( because a 500 weight calf gains better then a 800 weight calf for the feed amount ) and I can allow the cows to run on stalks and wheat pasteurs in the fall with little sup. I took it a step further this year, i calved my heifers starting 12-01 and they will be bred back Mar 1st and calves weaned 4/15. Cows will hit the pastuer without the calf. (It's my expierement)

Dusty,
Having calves on mama only 4 mos. seems like it gives mama too much of a free ride. I like to sell calves between 6-8 mos.
Feed is; grass as as long as possible, that dreaded endofyte kind, and hay which is fescue, orchard grass and clover. To this point have not needed to feed from a bag. Been at it 15 yrs. Course different environments require different plans.
Course

 

[Dusty]

I understand that, you sell at Weaning and it is cheaper if you keep the calves on the cows, How many acers can you run a cow/calf on, I can run a cow/calf on 5.5 ac. for 6 months. But by pulling the calves quicker, I can a cow/calf on 3.5.. Means I am running more cattle. You have to watch the pasteurs though. Also I am feeding my bulls out for sale, and cutting the bottom 50% for the plants, my last group went over 70% CAB Quality. My females are bred at 12-13 months and calve around 20-22 months of age, I am figuring I make an additional 1.37 calves a cows lifetime. from this program. KSU and ISU both have studies showing results better then mine through their extensions... I am getting a better feed conversion and I am keeping the fat lower on my cattle. Also I have found that my Preg rates went up almost 7%. I don't feed from the bag, but alfalfa, milo, high mositure corn, and corn silage I raise so why not get the most bang for my buck. Now that corn is over $3 it might change my mind next Sept...

 

[Limomike]

good idea Dusty, it seems to work for you. But, what about replacements? Do you pull them off the cows at 6 months of age also?

 

[SKF Show Cattle]

We always wean between 4-5 months old. It has always worked well for us.

 

[bigbull338]

We always wean between 4-5 months old. It has always worked well for us.

wean the calves at 7 to 0 months.unless they are pulling the cow dow real bad.when you wean at 4 months your calves weigh 400lbs.where as you could wean at 7 or 8 months an they weigh 650lbs.

 

[Aero]

Are there any negative side effects to waiting longer?

inefficient resource use. it takes quite a bit more energy for the cow to convert to milk for the calf than the calf eating the food itself. i think it is somewhere in the 20-30% more range. if you can keep the cow from converting, your resources will go further.

 

[regenwether]

I was told you should wean a calf 50-60% of the mothers body wt. I guess when ever you hit that mark...wean! If you have a probelm hitting that target perhaps you should take a second look at you cow herd.

 

[Aero]

I was told you should wean a calf 50-60% of the mothers body wt. I guess when ever you hit that mark...wean! If you have a probelm hitting that target perhaps you should take a second look at you cow herd.

using adj 205 day wts means you can wean at any time and still hit that mark.

 

[regenwether]

I would think your cost of gain would be cheaper weaning that calf 550-650 vs 400-500. Feed the calves a good creep and take care of your cows. I find people get into start pushing weaning dates when they don't have enough feed for their cows. Drought or stocking rates(too high).