When do you wean calves? Poll
- Thread starter Alan
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Alan":3lr4czzp said:
Our breed association can adjust the 205 day weights anywhere between 140 and 270 days on the PB stuff.
On the commercial stuff it depends on a lot of things too numerous to mention.
I voted six months, but that's not set in stone. The long pole in the tent for us is bull test dates. We want the bull calves to be weaned 45 days before they go on test. Generally, that will be at about six months. We'll usually wean the heifers then, too, just to keep it simple. And when we've had to start feeding cows in July, we weaned even earlier. We think it's better to get the cows dried up and feed the calves than to keep her milking and hope the calf gets enough to grow.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Depends on conditions as the drought a lot of Texas has going would be wean early and cull hard.
Some of the country I seen out towards Waco would require early weaning and aggressive pasture management for the next couple of years if it started raining now.
Some of the country I seen out towards Waco would require early weaning and aggressive pasture management for the next couple of years if it started raining now.
Caustic Burno":3ulc340t said:
We drove though some country I haven't seen in a while yesterday. It's bad. Some places they've grazed the native grass down to nothing. It will take years for that grass to come back. We've been lucky that we didn't have too many head for our pasture to start with. With the little rain we've had, the native stuff has perked right up. But we still need lots of rain to catch up.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I spent all day yesterday and till about midnight hauling hay to a little 80 year blue haired lady in Trinty County. There is one county in between us and they are burnt up and we are getting rain every few days. Looking at her pastures they are destroyed, she will be lucky to run half her herd size for years to come.
While going back and forth there was a steady stream of 18 wheelers,floats and lowboys going north with hay. I didn't see one truck getting hassled about being overloaded.
While going back and forth there was a steady stream of 18 wheelers,floats and lowboys going north with hay. I didn't see one truck getting hassled about being overloaded.
IluvABbeef
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Wewild":2hwxtek8 said:
Steer calves have already been started to be weaned when they get off the truck into the pen, 300 miles from their mamas.
stocky
Well-known member
I wean on the trailer on the way to the sale barn, also. Actually weaning the calves on premises would only occur if there were absolutely no other alternative. I have weaned the whole bunch 3 times. Lost a little money plus my time 2 times and lost my rear end the other time. Never again, is my goal
TLCfromARK
Well-known member
Anything being sold is weaned on the trailer. For replacement heifers we target for about 6-7 months, sometimes they're just a little older.
;-)
;-)
*Cowgirl*
Well-known member
205 give or take a week or so.
cypressfarms
Well-known member
Caustic Burno":1h6co5hp said:
Well I hope that all of our firends in east Texas got a good soaking with the front that's passing through now. Looks like front goes from the gul all the way up to Minnesota. Sorry to hear about the tornadoes, but hopefully it will give many of the ranchers much needed rain.
I can see the front coming over the horizon. Should be here shortly. Good excuse for me to call in to work today and go to the slabarn and watch how my steers do. Weaned at 6 months.
ALACOWMAN
Well-known member
six months.. want them off the first of september. so the cows can get back in condition for winter. when you pull the calve's off the cows lose weight and sometime alot from the stress just from the weaning let alone the calf pulling them down
TXBobcat
Well-known member
6mos, but this year with the drought, I've dropped back to 5 mos.
Dave
Well-known member
Generally early October, sometimes late September. How old are the calves? Depends on when they were born. The oldest ones are 8 months old, the youngest couple are about 150 days. Most of them run about 7 months.
Dave
Dave
TheBullLady
Well-known member
I just came back from a trip to Kentucky.. drove 20 from Tyler through to Alabama, and like Caustic.. saw a BUNCH of trucks loaded with hay headed into Texas. I've also heard the DOT is allowing oversized loads without permits for hay hauling.
You should have seen the cattle going to the Athens barn on Friday! Full capacity I'm sure.
We wean depending on what we're going to do with the calves and what the market is. My cows are in good shape, so I"m going to hold them until October... right around 6 months.
You should have seen the cattle going to the Athens barn on Friday! Full capacity I'm sure.
We wean depending on what we're going to do with the calves and what the market is. My cows are in good shape, so I"m going to hold them until October... right around 6 months.
Family Tradition
Well-known member
We weaned early this year due to conditions 5 months. We've watched those trucks come through our town in AR the last 2 summers and almost all winter. Last year mainly duallies and goosenecks this year 18 wheelers and goosenecks. Watch on hwy. and average 5 to 6 an hr. I feel for all of em we're expriencing some of the same conditions here. Less than 2" from 1st of June til last front yesterday. My Dad would have said we're not paying the preacher enough. What's sad is they're getting rain on other side if county
