# When to wean and how often to Vet check your herd continuance



## Symphony (Jul 12, 2012)

So I've been told to wean as early as 3 months to as late as 6 months.  The bull calves will of course be banded before weaning anyhow but my Cows didn't all birth at the same time but over a couple of months.  The last Cow calved about two weeks ago.

I have about half the paper work for the Cow's which the Old timer is working on finding the rest, which I don't mind.  They are all crossbred anyhow.  I'm still thinking hard on a good bull but am seriously considering a Red Durham or Short Horn.


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## WildRoseBeef (Jul 12, 2012)

Calving two months = 60 day period.  That's pretty normal for most operations, and shouldn't be a problem.  IMO weaning at three months is too early, but it's early enough if you're running into problems associated with drought, lack of feed and/or pasture, and unwilling to creep-feed calves to hold them over due to costs in creeping them. Six months is average and should be ideal.  Other producers I've heard have left weaning until calves are around 8 months old.  

Really, when you wean and what age depend on what the calves are doing to the cows (i.e., are they pulling them down [cows loosing more weight than they need]), how big the calves are in comparison to the cows (are you allowing weaning at over or under 50% to 65% of the cow's body weight?), and what market price you are wanting to target. Of course when you wean is highly dependent on when you calved as well as what costs you're willing to incur to keep the calves on the cows for longer (i.e., creep feeding, supplementing cows so they are still lactating for the calves, etc.), especially if you are wanting to wait until winter time to wean. 

There are also health implications for when you wean.  You don't want to wean when you're in a hot and dry period (like when it's dry and dusty, typical of late summer) due to higher incidences of respiratory problems due to dust and worse stress levels that gets coupled by the heat of the day, for instance.  

You will also want to think about, if you're doing cow-calf the natural way (i.e., calve spring, wean fall/early winter...), you probably want to wean calves off the cows before winter feeding starts and during a time when pasture quality is starting to decrease. Cows won't be giving much milk on poorer pasture, and usually at this time calves are big enough to depend less and less on their mothers. Take the calves off the cows and you're able to start winter feeding with stockpile grazing or swath grazing or bale grazing.

Now I don't mean to hijack this post so soon, but do you have your cows calving so that most are calving within the first week or so, and the less fertile ones calving later? That will make things less spread out for you and more confined to one time period that enables you to wean the calves all at one time and not over a longer period.


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## Symphony (Jul 12, 2012)

I bought the Cows during the calving season so many of them had already calved or would soon be.  The oldest calves are around a month and a half and the youngest is two weeks old.  I think I'll wean the lot by late fall.


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## Royd Wood (Jul 13, 2012)

For the first 2 years out here we pulled all the beef calves in November at 8 months old and placed them in the field next to mums so at least they could see each other - the bellowing lasted a couple of days.
This last year we tried a different method and just let mums do it naturally - it worked with no effect on mother and calf, all the mums calved again on time and are in great condition and the yearlings are the best we have ever had. I'm convinced and plan to try the same way this year

Edit - we dont vet check anything here just do the daily visual


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## redtailgal (Jul 13, 2012)

We pretty much do as Royd was saying.  It's pretty hot right now, so we may pull a few that are working too hard on the mother.  And we plan on raising out a couple of the bull calves for a replacement bull, so they will be pulled (pretty soon) and put in their own pasture near my house so that I can work with them.  The other bull calves have been banded and will stay with mommy.


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## Symphony (Jul 13, 2012)

Hmm, I would think it would be hard on the Cows to raise them for that long all while bring bred again.


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## boothcreek (Jul 13, 2012)

We let our cows wean the calves on their own, our girls never seem to have any problems doing that, usually by 8-9 months old they dont dare try and drink from their moms anymore or they get a boot to the head  Our girls get real cranky when they decide its enough.

Altho last years steer must have been a very gentle drinker cause his mom let him drink for almost a year.
We never had any condition issues with our cows, looking at them you would never think they are feeding a calf or two(cause sometimes the previous years sibling will sneak in when mom thinks that years youngster is drinking  )
Actually if they didnt have calves to feed I think our cows would be obese on our big pastures


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## Royd Wood (Jul 13, 2012)

Symphony said:
			
		

> Hmm, I would think it would be hard on the Cows to raise them for that long all while bring bred again.


Not with Galloway - Lets be honest who invented the word "weaning" well it wasn't the cattle of yesteryear. Your genetically altered cattle like Angus and Hereford might have a hard time but the Galloway, Highland, Aberdeen Angus and horned Hereford would manage pretty good. Hey something to consider when choosing your breed


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## redtailgal (Jul 13, 2012)

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> Symphony said:
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Watch it there Royd!  My polled Herefords manage it just fine, thank you very much!


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## Royd Wood (Jul 13, 2012)

redtailgal said:
			
		

> Royd Wood said:
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 I know but I did say MIGHT and as usual I will pee a few off - I think if you have some real good blood in the veins then it will not be an issue and I forgot Boothcreek's Dexters on my not a problem list


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## animalfarm (Jul 13, 2012)

Sorry, double post


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## animalfarm (Jul 13, 2012)

My black angus do pretty well too. I culled any that couldn't keep fat and raise a calf on strictly grass; less then ideal grass at times. Calves had to fatten up as well for their mothers to be kept. I don't bother to wean them either. Same with the belties; if they couldn't do what they were originally designed for, they went to freezer camp. The genetics are  still there but you have to work for it some.


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## kfacres (Jul 14, 2012)

I raise Shorthorns, Durham Reds, and Maines.

We generally wean at around 5 months on most of our calves, with the exception of show calves-- which get weaned at 3 months-- that is with creep feeding.    

Unless we are in a drought like this year, and we dont' creep feed-- then we wean all the bull calves at 4 months, and all the heifers before they hit 5.  This is without creep.  

I have a good friend in MO- raises as good of commercial cattle in the shorthorn breed-- they wean at 10 months, and his cows are fat as terds.  zero grain to anything.


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## Symphony (Jul 14, 2012)

Well I have some nice Maine Anjou semen in route to my local Vet.  Each stick was a reasonable price.


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## kfacres (Jul 14, 2012)

Symphony said:
			
		

> Well I have some nice Maine Anjou semen in route to my local Vet.  Each stick was a reasonable price.


I'd fix you up with some DAMN good Red Maine stuff for $15. a straw...  We're trying to get as many people to use our new herd bull as we can, to get his calves sprinkled around the country.  Purebred RED Maines will paper as 3/4 Shorthorns.

I'm going back in the tank this year and breeding to Iabon, Maine bull from the 70s. direct import.


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## boothcreek (Jul 14, 2012)

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> I know but I did say MIGHT and as usual I will pee a few off - I think if you have some real good blood in the veins then it will not be an issue and I forgot Boothcreek's Dexters on my not a problem list


You Forgot my precious Dexies?????? OMG how could you ? LOL  sorry couldnt resist a second of fake drama! 

Yea, i think most heritage breeds do well with weaning on their own after all they were selectevly bred a long time ago for easy keeping/sustainability. Since back then that means just 1 pasture or free range(so no seperating calves etc) and the cows should stay healthy with no supplemental feeding or other intervention other then going to slaughter. Easiest and cheapest to raise cow is the one you dont have to really deal with much at all(except for feed in the winter), a couple hundred years ago that was the main criteria for cattle .
I think most lines of production breeds today would do alright that way too, but most ranches dont select for it anymore, its just easier(cheaper?) to build another cattle proof pasture to fence off calves and wean forcefully instead of getting rid of a mother cow that sacrifices herself too much for her calf and doesnt wean it herself and trying to find a replacement animal that is better.


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## Symphony (Jul 14, 2012)

Well the Cow's all look good still so I guess I could but we'll see.


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