we at stage of needing to bring Angus cows and calfs in soon normally they wouldn’t be weaned until December January time, they calf late April / may . I’m thinking when we bring them in just wean then and cows will go into cubicles and on slats . Is there much benefit to the calf keeping it on the mother for another two months now? I think that will do better on bedded courts and getting fed wholecrop and good silage ? Plus it’s a pain having them in cubicles with mother’s as they make all the mess lying in wrong ways in the beds
Weaning calves
- Thread starter valtraman
- Start date
- Location
- East Sussex
Cows getting too fat might be an issue?
Possibly could be an issue especially with the Angus’s but if I ration them should be okay was just wondering what benefit the cow will do to calf now mothering it for another two months?
- Location
- Near Colchester
I leave mine on as long as I can so that the cows don't go fat, probably wrong as i think that the calves would be getting more benefit from better fodder in those few months than they will be by having milk and sharing medium quality forage with mum.
I can't creep feed forage and don't want to creep cake.
I can't creep feed forage and don't want to creep cake.
wellingtonfarmer
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
I can’t think of anything worse than having cows and calves inside.
If you keep cows on calf you have to feed them expensive ration in order for them to milk to feed the calf, split them and feeed them accordingly.
If you keep cows on calf you have to feed them expensive ration in order for them to milk to feed the calf, split them and feeed them accordingly.
- Location
- East Sussex
Or creep the calves so that the cows load is lighter but they don’t get podgy. Calves are happy and get on forage in their own time.
bosses son
Member
Think spring calving cows are best weaned about now but better to get the calves eating first. Have in the past left them on later to try to get past bad pneumonia period but dont know if it is much benefit. Autumn calving different, leave them on till about a month before calving.
gone up the hill
Member
- Location
- Devon
Do NOT wean them at housing as you could well end up with massive problems with Pneumonia etc, leave them 2 weeks to settle down on a new diet etc and then wean them.
We did wean one batch of 30 last year at housing as was no where to creep feed calfs and worked fine really. Been on creep feeders for 3 week now so all getting a taste for it. Tend to think the longer we leave weaning we get into them damp misty type days at least this now it’s brighter and better air
- Location
- North Somerset.
The cow would wean the calf naturally at some point prior to giving birth to the one she is carrying, probably around ten months. Why not follow the natural process and make the cow earn her keep by feeding the calf. Less stress. I creep feed the calves and leave the cows on hay. The cow may lose condition but who wants fat cows calving?
Yes I know I get what u say and I will leave calves on cows on the sheds that have a good bedded creep for the calfs but the main cubicles don’t have this facility and they just get a creep feeder in the passage which takes up room and they have to lie in cubicles and compete with there mothers for silage. Think these ones would be better weaned this time also the shed isn’t that high and can get quite stuffy in there. Where weaned calfs would go would be newer modern better ventilation sheds
Generally wean ours at housing and don’t get problems with pneumonia. A couple of groups do get a few days inside with mother before being weaned but I don’t think that makes too much difference to the ones that get weaned as they go on the trailer in the field.
Wishful Thinker
Member
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Last year put gates across the pen so that separate area for calves was made. Calves could come and go on, and were getting better silage fed at their feed fence plus 3kgs of meal. After couple weeks locked the calves in the separate area during the day and then did that full time after a few weeks. From housing I had the calves moved to a separate house fully weaned after 6 weeks.
Benefits. No sleepless nights with calves roaring their heads off. Cows calved down in fit condition. Bull calves away slightly earlier. No calves jagged in that batch for pneumonia.
Negatives: Cubicles were bogging, took a bit of extra time shifting calves to lock them in other pen.
Was worth it IMO, first year doing it but didn’t see that check that we usually had at weaning.
Benefits. No sleepless nights with calves roaring their heads off. Cows calved down in fit condition. Bull calves away slightly earlier. No calves jagged in that batch for pneumonia.
Negatives: Cubicles were bogging, took a bit of extra time shifting calves to lock them in other pen.
Was worth it IMO, first year doing it but didn’t see that check that we usually had at weaning.
- Location
- Limousin, France
We use these, they are brilliant. calf loses no weight at severage and cow and calf have no stress. Used for 3 years now.