Weaning
- Thread starter Woodman
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
If you are going to put them in the same pasture with the mama's, I would say at least one month. I do mine for two weeks but they are going to a different pasture than the cows. Any heifers I keep back will be away from the cows for almost a year before they are in the same pasture again. Take it for what it is worth.
J+
J+
Cattle Girl
Member
Do they have to be far enough away so that they can't see or hear each other? Any suggestions if you have a rather small place? I was going to send the cow off to be bred for 45 to 50 days when the calf needed to be weaned. Any advice.
Cattle GirlCattle Girl":1yn1bp6c said:
When the calf is old enough to be weaned is much to late to be getting the Dam rebred. Why not have her AI'ed when the calf is 6 to 10 weeks old.
I know there are some AI tech's around where you have her.
skip
Well-known member
We are a small operation. When it's time to wean, we just put our calves in an 8 acre pasture adjoining the mamas. We've done 10 or so calves this way with no problem. I'm sure we will find a hard-headed one sooner or later.
eric
Well-known member
What do you guys do when you only have one calf to wean? Do you put her in a pen by herself, since this seems to stress some calves, which are probably stressed out enough just from being weaned. Should I put a heifer in with her for company? Or should I just let her tough it out? I bought her and her mama a few months ago and she will be weaned about 3 months after my other calves. I will be weaning 2 calves in June, and her in August. Maybe leave all 3 in the small pasture until the youngest is weaned?
Do whatever you have to so that she has some company. An older cow, or other weaned calves, maybe even a couple of cows with calves and the one you want to wean. The only problem with the last alternative is it may turn into a sneaky snacker and you'll never get it weaned.
dun
dun
eric":1ow3e22v said:
LA,
Cattle Girl
When the calf is old enough to be weaned is much to late to be getting the Dam rebred. Why not have her AI'ed when the calf is 6 to 10 weeks old
Why is it too late to breed the cow back when the calf is weaned? If you have a small herd, small enough that you don't care about calving seasons and have the facility to calve any month of the year it seems you can breed back at any time. But I'm novice enough I may be missing something.
Alan[/quote]
Cattle Girl
When the calf is old enough to be weaned is much to late to be getting the Dam rebred. Why not have her AI'ed when the calf is 6 to 10 weeks old
Why is it too late to breed the cow back when the calf is weaned? If you have a small herd, small enough that you don't care about calving seasons and have the facility to calve any month of the year it seems you can breed back at any time. But I'm novice enough I may be missing something.
Alan[/quote]
greatgerts
Well-known member
If you wean a calf at 210 days (7 months) and you just want to breed the cow then, well you will have a calving interval of close to 500 days. That is the better part of 2 years. You waste more money if you do not breed the cow soon after she has a calf and wait that long. Would you rather be feeding a cow that is making you money, or feeding an open cow that is just out in the field???????
We usually start breeding about 45 days after they calve. Gives enough recouperating time for the cow, and lets everything calve before the bull goes back out, or to AI.
We usually start breeding about 45 days after they calve. Gives enough recouperating time for the cow, and lets everything calve before the bull goes back out, or to AI.
eric
Well-known member
Alan, it seems most of these guys have rather large operations and rely on their cattle for their main income. Therfore, they have to plan their operations much more delicately that you or I it appears. They are the guys who will ship a cow off if she does'nt have a calf every yr, need their cows to rebreed asap after calving as time is money to most of these guys. They don't want to feed a cow that wont make them any money. They cant see wasting 4-5 months without a cow being bred. I am like Cattle girl and probably yourself, I want to calve when it is most convient for me and not necessarily when it is the most profitable for my operation. I am one of those "hobby farmers" that alot of these guys frown upon. I have another job and raise my cows for my enjoyment, not nesessarily for the $$. While I certainly don't care to lose money, its not the driving force behind my operation. I am not sure why folks resent us for that decision either, as we probably take as good of care of our animals as most of them do, probably better than some of them. Anyway, that is my opinion as to why he made that comment, as time means money to most of these guys!
We no longer do it for our primary income, but I can't afford to feed a giant dog that isn't house broke and won't even chase a ball. Breeding them back on-time, i.e. so they calve every 12 months just allows them to pay their way so we can afford to have more of them.
It's now just a hobby, but it still has to pay for itself or close to it.
dun
It's now just a hobby, but it still has to pay for itself or close to it.
dun
eric":332555ui said:
eric
Well-known member
Good comparision Dun, as a large dog will probably eat $10-$15 a week in food, plus vet bills. So that dog will cost you $500 a yr easily.....I probably won't put $500 in each of my cows, unless something unexpected happens.
Dun 's answer is on target. What ever your reason to raise cattle or a cow you may as well do it as economically as posible. It don't cost a cent more to raise a pregnant cow as a open one. I rather house a bred one.
