Letting weaned bucket calves outside

[reverand]

Has anyone let weaned bucket calves outside during the day on to some grass . Then back inside at night.using nuts to lead them around. ????

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Make sure they are vaccinated for blackleg. Only pence/calf. If weather is right let them out. I put mine in back field so they can run back into shed for nuts and shelter

 

[reverand]

How old are they?

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

How far is the shed from the field? I let them come out from the shed into a bit of a yard / gates chained together next to the field for a fortnight first. So they learn to come inside when it rains and they know there is always a water trough, hay and a bit of cake for them in the shed.

They all tend to come in at night on their own unless there has been a prolonged warm and dry spell.

 

[reverand]

I have a yard they could go out in with a field they could go it right next to the shed. I might try it next week when it warms up

 

[Anymulewilldo]

How old are they?

Once they are off milk and going. Lot depends on the weather. If it's boiling hot they are better outside so they don't sweat and chill at night.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Don’t some of the spring grazing dairy boys pretty much rear their calves outside, with those milk bar trailers you tow out to the field.
Cattle’s natural habitat is outside so it shouldn’t be a major problem, the worst thing I would think you could do would be to turf them out on inclement weather when they’re used to being in but that would be in early spring, I wouldn’t have thought the showery weather we’re having at the moment should cause any problems, it is after all relatively mild.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Yes my heifers are out from early / mid April on the trailer when they are about a month old and I chucked some beef calves out and fed them milk in the paddock nearest the house at about a week old in May. Much better health outside. They love a run around in the evening, it's quite something to see.

 

[Woolless]

I hope the OP has better luck than we had tuning some weaned calves out. A quick video of them hitting the grass turned in to a 20 minute epic as one wouldn't go out, her pals tried to head down the road, another one dug her heels in etc etc . And there were only three!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I hope the OP has better luck than we had tuning some weaned calves out. A quick video of them hitting the grass turned in to a 20 minute epic as one wouldn't go out, her pals tried to head down the road, another one dug her heels in etc etc . And there were only three!

don't worry... its happened too us all!!

 

[Woolless]

don't worry... its happened too us all!!

Me and my 70-year old mum ended up scrummaging the biggest, daftest one through the gate. I was tight-head prop, obviously!

 

[reverand]

That’s the type of thing that usually happens to me

 

[gatepost]

We always let them run into the yard for a day or two before letting them on out, they get used to a bird flying over or other things that spook them a bit , after that they are out really but have a hay rack out and troughs by gate so can be got back in if necessary, some times if they are a bit light footed we let them back into the yard every day to the trough, gets them used to coming when called. we don't have a problem with blackleg, but some farms do, just make sure you have a worming plan, most calves will need 3 in their first summer plus one at housing.