We started the wonderful process of weaning calves today from the 2 and 3 year old cows. The calves average 5 months of age, we wean them this early as the cow is not providing much more than company and we can feed the calf cheaper than the cow to make her milk enough to do any good. But, always trying to improve things, we decided to try something I have never done. We sorted the cows from the calves and turned the calves back out in the pasture they were in and kept the cows locked up. It makes sense to me and so far the calves are proving us right, they are mostly eating and laying around, very few bawling for mom. The calves have a creep feeder, they know where water is and there is nothing new or strange. The cows on the other hand think it a bumb deal as they usually head out into the outskirts of the pasture this time of day to graze old grass. Guess we will see what it's like in the morning, day 2 and 3 are usually the hardest. I chewed Copenhagen for 20 some years and just quit cold turkey, I can relate :wink:
calves eating hay on the ground
checking out the creep feeder
keeping the turkeys away from their feed, this can be hilarious
concerned mothers, actually they are thinking, "I don't have to put up with that brat anymore"
calves eating hay on the ground
checking out the creep feeder
keeping the turkeys away from their feed, this can be hilarious
concerned mothers, actually they are thinking, "I don't have to put up with that brat anymore"