Sara Ranch
Loving the herd life
I have read some of the posts in this forum, but didn't find my situation exactly.
I was blessed with two calves [surprise!] that arrived with no history. I was told (later) that they might be about 6 months old and that they might not have been weaned before they left their momma's.
Well, it turns out that they weren't weaned before being ripped from momma. They bellowed for momma and a momma in a nearby herd answered and invited my babies over. The babies went. I don't blame them. I wasn't able to meet their needs or even know their needs until they had been here for a bit.
The babies are coming back this coming week. They've been nursing on another momma who is NOT coming with them. For the second time in their short lives, they will be taken from a momma milk figure.
I feel badly for them, but I don't see how this can be prevented. (The guy won't buy them from me - it's winter - many people are offloading their cattle. He's selling many of his cows off.)
Any suggestions for helping the babies make the transition to being forced weaned? For keeping them HERE instead of running off to THERE? That herd is being moved as we speak, so they shouldn't be able to hear or to answer any bellows from my babies.
For the future - what do I look for as signs the babies have been weaned before they are bought?
I might offer to buy the momma from him, but need to know what is a fair price to offer? She's got milk, so we know she's had success in birthing. Don't know anything else about her.
Any and all help is welcome!
I was blessed with two calves [surprise!] that arrived with no history. I was told (later) that they might be about 6 months old and that they might not have been weaned before they left their momma's.
Well, it turns out that they weren't weaned before being ripped from momma. They bellowed for momma and a momma in a nearby herd answered and invited my babies over. The babies went. I don't blame them. I wasn't able to meet their needs or even know their needs until they had been here for a bit.
The babies are coming back this coming week. They've been nursing on another momma who is NOT coming with them. For the second time in their short lives, they will be taken from a momma milk figure.
I feel badly for them, but I don't see how this can be prevented. (The guy won't buy them from me - it's winter - many people are offloading their cattle. He's selling many of his cows off.)
Any suggestions for helping the babies make the transition to being forced weaned? For keeping them HERE instead of running off to THERE? That herd is being moved as we speak, so they shouldn't be able to hear or to answer any bellows from my babies.
For the future - what do I look for as signs the babies have been weaned before they are bought?
I might offer to buy the momma from him, but need to know what is a fair price to offer? She's got milk, so we know she's had success in birthing. Don't know anything else about her.
Any and all help is welcome!