Okay I am trying them.
Applied them on Thursday afternoon. Not to difficult to do once you get the hang of it, then takes about 2 seconds a flap. Then we put them all back together in a spent hay field. I had begun feeding them about a week ago.
Next morning I switched the hay type to premium and I put out lots of it to keep them occupied and the calves full. As I was taking the hay out I noticed several calves in the nursing position being unsuccessful and a few others bunting under the brisket or just standing beside their dams. At this point the cows are getting rather full in the udder and the calves are clearly demonstrating frustration.
Saturday morning. Despite putting out double the feed from the previous rations, all the hay is cleaned up and they are all waiting for me. I roll out the hay well spread out so the calves have ample room to eat. I do a drive by to inspect them all and find one calf has lost her flap. When I had put the flaps in Thursday, I noticed a few calves with a more narrow nose in which the flap was too easily inserted and was concerned that they might not last. This calf was one of them.
All is quiet for a while... as they fill up on hay and begin to relax, several cows are bawling. Doing that long repeating bawl that is often the call for a calf. Now I am in the yard behind the trees so I can't see whats going on... sometimes its just one cow, then sometimes there will be 3 or 4 bawling at the same time and then there will be periods of quiet.. rarely a calf will bawl.. its mostly cows begging for some relief...
I plan to leave these flaps in until next Thursday, then ship.
Will update later on the weaning progress.
Applied them on Thursday afternoon. Not to difficult to do once you get the hang of it, then takes about 2 seconds a flap. Then we put them all back together in a spent hay field. I had begun feeding them about a week ago.
Next morning I switched the hay type to premium and I put out lots of it to keep them occupied and the calves full. As I was taking the hay out I noticed several calves in the nursing position being unsuccessful and a few others bunting under the brisket or just standing beside their dams. At this point the cows are getting rather full in the udder and the calves are clearly demonstrating frustration.
Saturday morning. Despite putting out double the feed from the previous rations, all the hay is cleaned up and they are all waiting for me. I roll out the hay well spread out so the calves have ample room to eat. I do a drive by to inspect them all and find one calf has lost her flap. When I had put the flaps in Thursday, I noticed a few calves with a more narrow nose in which the flap was too easily inserted and was concerned that they might not last. This calf was one of them.
All is quiet for a while... as they fill up on hay and begin to relax, several cows are bawling. Doing that long repeating bawl that is often the call for a calf. Now I am in the yard behind the trees so I can't see whats going on... sometimes its just one cow, then sometimes there will be 3 or 4 bawling at the same time and then there will be periods of quiet.. rarely a calf will bawl.. its mostly cows begging for some relief...
I plan to leave these flaps in until next Thursday, then ship.
Will update later on the weaning progress.