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Helping the neighbor wean

S

Shortgrass

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 25, 2006
Messages
2,407
Location
Eastern Colorado
I helped a neighbor wean his calves today

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Penning pairs

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Snappy waiting to help

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Mamas looking for babies

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Babies looking for mamas

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Mamas & Granmas with babies

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Snap waitin' for a ride home

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Pickin' peaches while waiting for dinner

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Samplin' the goods

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Turned my pony out

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Mr. Kinkade fighting flies

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In the afternoon, I went over to the junk pile to look for some iron & guess what I found

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One was 5 on each side, and the other is at least 7 on each side[/img]
 
That's a good looking horse you have.Fresh peaches now that would be awesome.Those big bucks are pretty wise hideing close to the building's I had 2 whitetails drinking from the pond below our barn at the other place friday night but once they spotted me they were gone one was a pretty good buck the other was a small fork.

I got to thinking about you folks today who have wide open spaces.We had a wind storm come thru a few weeks ago and I spent most of the day cutting downed trees off a 1/4 mile of fence it was a heck of a mess.
 
Good pics. Those deer were big boys.
Yesterday i was moving 13 bulls and ponying my daughter on a colt at the same time. :roll: Went to chase a bull away from a little patch of brush and out ran three nice bucks. None were the size of the ones you pictured but we were a little busy at the moment with the filly to look real close at the horns. :)
 
I cheat when I wean - - - you can do this when you have less than 50 cows.

I bring the herd to the barn and I feed the cows in a bunk twice a day. I have a creep gate allowing the calves to go the another bunk with out being crowed by the cows. After about a week of this I just close the creep gate and quit feeding the cows - - - they have fence line contact till the cows just quit coming up.

I get almost no noise from the calves - - -the cows will ball for a couple of days then move off.

Very little stress and the calves know how to eat from a bunk.

I get all the vacinations and casturations done on the first day they are brought up.

Timing depends on harvest.
 
Just now checking the replies to this post. Denny and Faster Horses, I like Snappy, but you'll notice she has 3 white feet (deny me), and you'll notice I called her she as in a mare. I didn't want a mare, but like the way she walks out, watches cattle, and is the same every time you catch her, which is why I didn't want a mare. Any way we get along & thanks for the nice things you said about her. Kinkade is a well put up horse. He is small, but sure is a big little horse. My daughter owns him. He needs that belly rode off him.

My wife just asked me about the deny me comment. Old timers always told me concerning horses "One white foot buy me, two white feet try me, three white feet deny me, and four white feet, just shoot me." I am not sure of their reasoning, but you can see how much stock I put in the old saying.
 
Nice pics, Shortgrass! Those calves are good ones, all right! And I sure like Snappy, she's a looker!!! And the nice things you have to say about her, make her that much more appealing! Love the little black, too, but have had a soft spot for black horses since I bought my first black (way more years ago than I want to remember........she'd be.........uh.........32 now, if she was still around).

George, I like your idea.......might pass it along to FIL, they're gonna be ready to start weaning in about a month.......ship the end of October probably.
 
Here is the way I heard that old saying ( and I don't pay any attention to it either, cuz we've really had some good horses
marked like this).
One white foot, buy me
Two white feet, try me.
Three white feet deny me.
Four white feet and white on the nose,
knock me in the head and feed me to the crows!!!

I'd kind of forgotten about that little verse, but your comment
made it all come back. Amazing the little things you appreciate
remembering when
you get OLD as I am!!!! :shock: :P :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Faster horses said:
Here is the way I heard that old saying ( and I don't pay any attention to it either, cuz we've really had some good horses
marked like this).
One white foot, buy me
Two white feet, try me.
Three white feet deny me.
Four white feet and white on the nose,
knock me in the head and feed me to the crows!!!

I'd kind of forgotten about that little verse, but your comment
made it all come back. Amazing the little things you appreciate
remembering when
you get OLD as I am!!!! :shock: :P :lol: :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

I like your version the best. The old timer I had talked to must have forgotten how it ended. I know this ol timer wouldn't have got it messed up! :wink:
 
I know my method would not work on the big ranches but I've used it for about 40 years with the numbers I run and it is so easy on me, the cows, and especially the calves that I feel it is the only way for a small operation.

The calves just keep eating and the feed lots I sell to really show their apprication with their checks!
 
The reason we don't favor horses with white feet is that it seems their hooves are not as sound as with dark feet. Not saying we haven't or won't let the good looks or performance over ride the belief. We just try to carefully weigh the fact there could be problems with those feet. Cute verse, though.

We've been doing the pasture weaning for a few years. It was well worth the effort it took to prepare the fences and water system for doing it. We re-inforced a stretch of fence between two pastures, placing water tank in the fence line. We put the cattle into the pasture the calves will remain in and leave them for a day or two. Then move the cows into the adjacent pasture, so they can 'talk' across the fence. The calves are in the better pasture. We also supplement them with some hay, maybe with grain, or DDG, or molasses mixed in and have mineral available. The calves soon are moving away from the fence area to the better grass. The cows bawl longer than the calves do, but neither pays much attention after very few days. Far less stress on all concerned, us, the cows, and the calves. They have been vaccinated a few weeks prior to weaning. Good vac program, plus low stress weaning= healthier calves. We do a few hundred head at a time this way, and it works fine.......or has for several years now.

mrj
 
That's a real solid weaning program mrj - I think many quality issues way down the line could be mitigated if the calves left the ranch with that kind of care.

I like to unroll 5# of alfalfa and turn arround and topdress it with 3 or 4# corn on pasture, everyother day, for 2 or 3 weeks before weaning. The cows teach the calves to eat. I rarely have calves on cows more than 110 days so those little calves need some kick at weaning.
 
We bring the calves in and feed some hay to the cows and calves
for a few days. (I'm talking heifer calves here, as the steer calves
sell right off the cow.)
We feed some Forage Pro as well. Sure does help for the cows
to teach the calves to eat. They wean so much easier.

And I have always appreciated those who can 'wean the cows'.
It seems to help keep weaning stress to a miniumum. We aren't set
up to do that, but for folks that are, it sure makes a difference.
 
I've always weaned when it fit my schedule. Usually I just take my calves to the barn or deliver to a private buyer. My father-in-law always contended that the sign of the moon had more to do with how well weaning went than anything. When I deliver calves, I usually leave the cows penned all day so that they are ready to graze that night. Some of these ideas are sure good to try even if the calves are gone.
 
Faster horses said:
Here is the way I heard that old saying ( and I don't pay any attention to it either, cuz we've really had some good horses
marked like this).
One white foot, buy me
Two white feet, try me.
Three white feet deny me.
Four white feet and white on the nose,
knock me in the head and feed me to the crows!!!

I'd kind of forgotten about that little verse, but your comment
made it all come back. Amazing the little things you appreciate
remembering when
you get OLD as I am!!!! :shock: :P :lol: :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

I'll bet I heard that poem before you were born F H :D :D
We live in an area with no rocks and never shoe.My daughter has a mare with 4 white feet that stay in perfect shape.
 
I've never had trouble with white footed horses, but We, too, live in a sandy area and never shoe. My cousin is in as rocky a country-between Canon City and Cripple Creek-as you'ld ever hop to see, and he doesn't worry about white feet.
 
When we wean we load all the calves up ship the selling ones same day and haul all the replacements and bull calves home the cows are 15 miles away and we've never had any problems.
 
Juan said:
Faster horses said:
Here is the way I heard that old saying ( and I don't pay any attention to it either, cuz we've really had some good horses
marked like this).
One white foot, buy me
Two white feet, try me.
Three white feet deny me.
Four white feet and white on the nose,
knock me in the head and feed me to the crows!!!

I'd kind of forgotten about that little verse, but your comment
made it all come back. Amazing the little things you appreciate
remembering when
you get OLD as I am!!!! :shock: :P :lol: :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

I'll bet I heard that poem before you were born F H :D :D
We live in an area with no rocks and never shoe.My daughter has a mare with 4 white feet that stay in perfect shape.
Click to expand...


I've always heard:

One white foot- buy it
Two white feet- try it
3--be on the sly
4 pass him by
 

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