Weaned?

[Buckerette]

Once again I need advice. Hope it doesn't seem like all I do is ask for help.....

The short question is:

how long does it take for a calf to be fully weaned? Am I risking it if I put heifers back on pasture with their momma's after only 3 months off?

My youngest heifer was born March 27, 2006. There were taken off their momma's on October 21, 2006.

The reason I am asking is:

I'm short a pen. Currently, I have the cows on pasture with an open pen they can get to that has a windbreak. That is their only shelter as we have no trees or barns .

Then I have a pen of big bulls. A pen of 2 year old bulls. A pen of weanlings.

I need to get my bulls and heifers separate in my weaned pen.

With the "hubby" working 70 hours a week, I can't ask him to build me another pen or windbreak and since I'd burn down the whole place if I even looked at a welder...I need another option.

The easiest thing to do is to turn the heifers back out with the cows.
Ofcourse, I'll figure something else out if there is a chance the heifers will go back to nursing their mommas and taking the unborn calves colostrum.

Thanks in advance!

[Hanta Yo]

Even if they're weaned, you put them back and they'll find their mommas. It just depends if their mommas want them or not. We had a couple YRLGS!!! Who found their MOTHERS (crawled through a couple fences to get to them) and started NURSING them!!!! YIKES!!! It ticked me off so much, I took the yrlgs and locked them up with the 4-H steers until it was time for them to leave the ranch!!!! Sheeeeesh!!!! I won't say all of them will, but a few of them will, especially if their mommas want them back.....Good Luck!

[Jinglebob]

Turn them out. If they start to sucking their mothers, put blabs on them.

[Oldtimer]

Buckerette- Four years ago- the winter of our record 80+ inches of snow- I ended up running out of corral space-- and it became too hard trying to get into the area I had them to feed- so I just moved them in with the cows... Thought they better learn how to live on their own like they will from now on--They actually did great- grew out good- bred up good...

So since then I have been only keeping them penned a couple of months to wean- feeding a little grain and giving some tub supplement to quiet down and it makes it easier to check for sick ones....Then I've been turning them out with the cows...And like Hanta says once in awhile you have one try to go back to sucking- but I've had that with ones that weren't put together until spring- or with a couple yearling bulls that wanted to be suckers...

The one thing I found is that when they are fed the winter with the old cows they seem to get "socialized" more with the old cows- and stay with them better when turned out on grass...I haven't had to go looking all over the country for missing heifers in the fall.....And I didn't have the sick heifers in the spring like I sometimes did when they were lying in the slop and stuff....

[Northern Rancher]

It shouldn't be a problem.

[Shortgrass]

I would expect to see some of them go back to their mommy.

[Shorthornguy]

A problem would be rare. You might have one or two that you will have to seperate again.

[Denny]

You could purchase some portable corral panels and split the pen they are in or add on an extra pen with the panels.

Our heifers never go back with the cows until the following spring but that is more as we have 3 different farms we keep cattle on.

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

We've had to use the "no sucks" or as was mentioned some call em "blabbers" on some heifers that were turned back with the cows after bein seperate for 6 mo or more. Aggrivatin as all git out, but kinda comical when you put them thangs in their noses and they are turned loose to figure it out.

[Buckerette]

Thanks everyone!!!!


I'll let you know how it goes.

[Ranchy]

We just got home from taking the milk cow's two adopted weanlings down and turning out with her, Tillie and Speciman.......the calves were still wanting to suck, but Sweet Pea kicked 'em off good. Don't think they'll be stealing from her this year's calf (if she has one, she was apparently bulling the other day so not sure she bred last summer). These two had been away from her for a couple of months already......

But like has already been mentioned, we've had calves that would go find their mamas, had one cow that would have a yearling and a calf both sucking......

Good luck to you!

[Buckerette]

Thanks.

If I turn them out I think I'm going to put the blabbers on them just in case. It's too close to calving to take the colustrum risk and It'll be hard to get them gathered once they are out.


P.S. I love the name Tilly!