Weaning

[pabawhit]

We have one cow and her calf. She is due in June. We just seperated the calf from his mom. We don't have fencing that is far enough away that they can't see one another. How can we make it easier on the both of them and how long will they be miserable? We are wondering if we should just put them back together and let her wean him herself, he was just seperated yesterday, so they are both bawling all the time. We don't really want to sell him as we want him for butcher when he's older. Can we put him back in the pasture after he's weaned and how long should we wait? We are new to this and not really sure what to do. Thanks for your help.

 

[Angus Cowman]

they will quit bawling in a day or so and as far as them being close together Myself and several others Fenceline wean which is cows on one side of the fence and calves on the other just got to have a good fence between them

Be sure and feed the calve plenty of hay and a little grain I would probably put out about 5 lbs in a feeder next to the fence where he has to walk around it when he is going down the fenceline and when he cleans that up put out another 5lbs in a few days he will be cleaning up that feed everyday

As far as turning him back with the cows I would say a minnimum of 8 weeks I never turn my calves back with the cows so I am just going on what others have said on here

Good luck

 

[Double R Ranch]

I agree with the previous post. They will stop bellering in a day or two. Pasture weaning (with a fense in between) is a great way to wean. Seems to be less stress on all involved.
One of the reasons for weaning is so the mother can get her condition back up to be ready to provide for the new calf. I have seen cows nurse older calves and a new calf so don't count on the mom weaning. The smaller/newer calf always looses!
Double R

 

[Roadapple]

Coulda put a nose flap in and left him right with mama.