# When to Wean and How to do it



## cjc (Feb 11, 2016)

Hello Everyone,

2 of my girls that are expecting to calf have calves that they are still nursing. I name my cows so I will list out the details:

Big Mama, she has a 10 month old calf and is due to calf approx. April 8th
Deana, she has a 6 month old calf and is due to calf approx. July 14th

It is my understanding that I will need to wean these calves before their new calf is born. It would ideally be better for me if I separated the two calves from the mothers at the same time, but there is quiet an age difference in the calves. Both of the calves are grazing, eating hay and grain but they are still nursing multiple times a day.

Based on the dates how soon do I need to wean them? I have two pastures that sit side by side so I was planning on just moving these two calves over to another field. If I cannot wean the 6 month old calf yet I will move the calf that is being weaned with a few yearling steers I have to keep it company.

Any advice on this would be much appreciated. It is my first time expecting a calf when my cow already has one. I am not sure how they will react. Our herd is very attached to each other.

Thank you!


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 11, 2016)

You need to wean Big Mama's calf now. The latest you should dry off a cow is two months before their due date, so that they can start making colostrum for the unborn calf. Deana's calf shouldn't be weaned just yet, I would wean her/him early May. We usually wean our calves (beef or dairy) when they are a year old, but most people do when they are 6-8 months old.

It would be good to put them in the pasture right next to their Momma's pasture - so that they can see each other - and that way the weaning won't be so stressful. Just make sure they can't nurse. 

ETA, you can wean both calves at the same time, right now, if that is easier for you. Deana's calf will be fine, and it wouldn't hurt to dry her off a little early.


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## cjc (Feb 11, 2016)

Thank you @Goatgirl47! I will move Big Mamas calf this weekend with a few of my other steers. I think I will leave Deanas calf with her for now, id rather give them as much time as possible. I will put the calf in the pasture beside his mama so they can see each other. Thanks for your advice...wish me luck!


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 11, 2016)

Your welcome! I hope every thing goes well, and good luck! Be sure to show us pictures of the new calves...


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## Poka_Doodle (Feb 12, 2016)

@WildRoseBeef


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## cjc (Feb 12, 2016)

@Goatgirl47 thank you I will! I am very excited for the calves. I currently have 4 of my girls that are waiting to calf. All different breeds haha! I have an adorable spring/summer ahead.


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 12, 2016)

What breeds are they? We are also waiting on calves (if every goes as planned, we will have a calf in May, June, July, and August, and in two months I'll be able to breed my 13-month old heifer).


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## cjc (Feb 12, 2016)

I have a Hereford, Black Angus, Red Angus a Short Horn. What breeds do you have?


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 12, 2016)

A Shorthorn.....

We have mostly crosses.  The milk cows are Sasha (Normande/Jersey), Ruby (Normande/Jersey), Candy (Brown Swiss/Simmental), and Violet (Dutch Belted). The calves are Piper (13-month old Brown Swiss/Jersey heifer), Frankie (12-month old Dutch Belted), Georgia (11-month old Normande/Jersey heifer) and Linus (9-month old Jersey/Brown Swiss/Simmental). We name our cows too.


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## cjc (Feb 12, 2016)

Awesome name choices, I love it! I absolutely love Jersey cows, they have the sweetest faces. I have yet to own a dairy cow but I would love to. I have 8 total right now.

Big Mama (4 years old) - Hereford, her calf who we just call Baby (10 month steer).
Deana (5 years old), Short Horn and her calf Prince (6 month steer).
Little Red (1.5 years), Red Angus - heifer expecting her first calf.
Vicky, Black Angus (2.5 years old) expecting her second calf and sadly lost her first last season to a navel infection
Billy, Hereford Yearling Steer
Then we have our Bull who has no name. We "borrowed" him from a friend who has now left him with us. He is a pure bred short horn bull who is about 2 years old. Very gentle and very handsome.

This was our first year with Short Horns and wow are they impressive! Our Short Horn Calf has outgrown our Hereford calf who is 4 months older than he is.

Thanks for sharing!


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## WildRoseBeef (Feb 12, 2016)

You've gotten some good advice already, but I would advise to start weaning off Deana's calf because he is at the age where he's ready to go. If she's still in good condition and can still keep producing for him, then by all means keep him on for a couple more months or so, but if Prince is pulling her down some, then he'll need to be started to pull off. You can get him started by putting one of those Ezee-Wean nose flaps on him so that he essentially teaches mom to start kicking him off every time he tries to suckle. The nose flap should only stay in for a week at the most.

But, the concern I have with him being pulled off is that if he goes in with Baby and Billy (and probably Lil' Red too) he's going to be picked on more because he's smaller (and younger) than either of them and won't have his momma to protect him. So, even though he's considerably at a ripe age for weaning, maybe leave him on for a little longer. 

Other concern is I hope that the corral you are going to put Baby in is secure and separate enough so that he's not going to figure out a way to reach through and continue to suckle from his dam!


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## cjc (Feb 15, 2016)

Thank you @WildRoseBeef! We are going to move Baby, Billy and Prince together this Saturday into an adjoining, yet separated pasture. That way they can still see mom. There is a strong metal fence that separates the two.

I think that Baby, Billy and Prince will do well together. Although Prince is quiet a bit younger he is surprisingly bigger than Billy and Baby. Billy and Baby are both Herefords and Prince is a Shorthorn.

Do you think its ok to leave them a part for 1 month and then put them back together? Of course its always easier for us to have them together for feeding and such. Will the 1 month be enough time to wean without us having to worry about him going back to mom?


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## Goatgirl47 (Feb 15, 2016)

It depends, sometimes it takes only one month to wean, sometimes longer. Some calves are very persistent with nursing. I think you should keep them separated for two months, and then put them back together, but watch them carefully.


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## WildRoseBeef (Feb 15, 2016)

Six weeks or two months at the least, definitely.


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## cjc (Feb 16, 2016)

Thank you ladies! @WildRoseBeef @Goatgirl47


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## cjc (Feb 22, 2016)

The weaning process has begun! We had a few hours of crying and now they have all seemed to settle down nicely. Since they are only separated by a gate the mamas and their babies are still sitting side by side with the gate separating them. Very sweet. We have given the calves a round bale of Silage which they LOVE and are also feeding them grain in the morning. They seem to be happy. Only one of the cow calf pairs seemed phased by the separation. "Big Mama" refused to separate from her calf for even a minute. I think she was on to us. We held back her grain for one day and then she decided she would leave the pasture where her baby was to come to the grain we tempted her with. Here is a picture of Big Mama and her calf spending some quality time together in a pasture alone before we separated them to start weaning.


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