farmerjan
Herd Master
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2016
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- Location
- Shenandoah Valley Virginia
Weaning is a necessity. You can do it forcefully, early, and then keep milking for awhile, or you can cut out all the rich feed that helps to sustain the production and let the doe wean off naturally..... TO A POINT. But they need a break.
Are you going to continue to nurse a 2 year old when you have a brand new 2 week old baby. USE SOME COMMON SENSE.
Once the baby is weaned they need to stay separate from the momma. Until they are old enough to have their own baby, or until you can put them all back together while the dam is dry, months later. And if they try to go back to nursing when she has a new baby, then they need to be removed permanently.
None of our weaned calves will get to have contact with their mothers until after they have raised their first calf. We eep all our first calf heifers in a separate field from mature cows. When they are confirmed pregnant and their calf is weaned, they will often get integrated back into the main herd as we decide who will go where. And I once had a heifer that became a self sucker and after a couple of months of trying to straighten her out, shipped her.
And as @frustratedearthmother said, some will go back to nursing and you have to decide which ones get the benefit. Piglets will try to go back because when the sow does her little grunts, it is a signal for the pigs to nurse. Once we weaned the pigs, they were done until the gilts were bred to have their own litters. Pigs will always want to drink milk.
Are you going to continue to nurse a 2 year old when you have a brand new 2 week old baby. USE SOME COMMON SENSE.
Once the baby is weaned they need to stay separate from the momma. Until they are old enough to have their own baby, or until you can put them all back together while the dam is dry, months later. And if they try to go back to nursing when she has a new baby, then they need to be removed permanently.
None of our weaned calves will get to have contact with their mothers until after they have raised their first calf. We eep all our first calf heifers in a separate field from mature cows. When they are confirmed pregnant and their calf is weaned, they will often get integrated back into the main herd as we decide who will go where. And I once had a heifer that became a self sucker and after a couple of months of trying to straighten her out, shipped her.
And as @frustratedearthmother said, some will go back to nursing and you have to decide which ones get the benefit. Piglets will try to go back because when the sow does her little grunts, it is a signal for the pigs to nurse. Once we weaned the pigs, they were done until the gilts were bred to have their own litters. Pigs will always want to drink milk.
