# Weaning calfs



## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

I have two 3-4 month old calves, do I, or should I separate them from mamma or will mamma wean them at some point, I have a bull in with them and I'm fairly sure he's doing his job.

Thanks


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Mama will most likely never wean them, IMHO. I wean anywhere from 3 months to 6 months, but I have them on a creep feeder first, so I know they are use to eating. Grand-kids 4H calves get wean early, so they get used to being lead around at a weight that isn't so hard. I find it's easier to wrestle with a 250 pounder than a 400 pounder.  YMMV

Larry


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## swall01 (Jun 10, 2018)

you have to wean them as the cow will let them nurse forever. then you wind up with a yearling taking all the milk from a newborn. i wean closer to 6 months. i physically separate the bigger groups, they have a fit for about 2 days then return to normal. i use easy wean on small groups so that the calf can stay with cow. easier on both of them but harder on me as i have to catch them twice.


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

You might want to invest in some earplugs, because they're going to make a lot of noise for about 3 days. Many times, the cows have it worse then the calves.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

May have as much to do with feed quality but cows here at 7 to 8 months are not give much milk and calves more or less self wean. Not a good practice to leave them this long but it happens out here in the brush. I am 3 weeks or so from calving and it was the end of August that we got cows out of the brush and weaned. Out of 50 pairs only 5 or 6 cows hung around and balled. Several the ones that carried had calves 2 to 3 months younger than the rest.

The weather is fickle out here the rain season starts in the fall and will green up and stay till spring when it goes dry again until fall. But the first rain has been as late as March 1st. So fall calving to have a calf as the grass gets better in spring. Dry grass that is picked over cows don't give much milk in June to weaning.

Much easier to keep calve where the cow can see them or get them miles and miles away. In poor years I have had them at the auction the same day they are pulled. Generally wean in a corral, they can rub noses through the pipe fence. This year being crazy they went back to the same 400 acres the cows are on after 2 weeks penned.

Cow phycology 101 don't move cow and take calf away the same time. A good mother cow will get out of normal wire fences and go miles back to pasture where she last saw calf.Leave cow by calf several days then move her to different place if you want to move her.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Looks like you’re in a purty good region away from the fires Ray? I hope that the weather changes for the better for y’all ....I see there was a magnitude 4.5 down around LA. Hopefully not affecting you....fires, earthquakes must be a bit surreal. Prayers from Dixie for you guys....


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

Thank you for prayers dawg,fire fighters can use all the help they can get.

I am 30 to 40 miles from one that burned down the beach on the Big Sur coast. Still only 40% contained after 30 days and 125,000+ acres. But rough and wild stuff burned in 16 just west of me which helps a bunch.

The brush and forest needs burned about every 15 to 25 years. First fire departments where not liking liability in the 60's and 70's to do controlled burns. Because things happen and nobody is in control but the Lord.By the 90's fire departments can see it will burn "someday" so better you pick the day. By then the green save everything and the smoke is so bad bunches have been fighting control burns so very few happen. Most of what burns is not even grazing land it's so brush covered. But some body will build a house out in it.

Yes better be ready for a earthquake and flood yet the way the year is going. Been 20 years since we had any snow so a blizzard too.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Thanks everyone, I'll let both get to the 6mo range and corral them, they will be able to see and the electric fence may keep them in...


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