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Weaning with nose flaps/two step weaning

L

LCP

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 31, 2008
Messages
240
Location
north central SD
I've heard a little about these nose flaps some outfits are using to wean calves. Wondering if anyone has used these.

http://www.quietwean.com/
 
We use those "nose flaps" They are called a lot of things but we call them "Blabs".
I think they are one of the better ideas for easing weaning stress on calves.
We put them in when we pre-condition the calves we entend to wean. About ten days later we will run the calves back for their second round of shots, pull out the blabs leave the calves mothers in the corral and drive the calves away to grass on a pivot about two miles away. Last year we had three or four calves come back out of six hundred head. The cows spent three days locked up then went out to pasture.
The hard plastic blabs work better than the soft pliable ones.
 
I've used them for years and it works. Go to Valley Vet Supply for the hard type. Last ones I bought were a $1-1.25 apiece.
 
We have used the quietweans for 4 or 5 years now and really like them. We don't leave them in as long as the other poster - about 5 days in our situation and we then fenceline wean the calves as well
(have the calves through a hot wire from their mothers for about 3 more days.) Zero stress system for the calves, cows shout worse than ever but only for the first night. I'd be concerned about them being in the nose for too long - makes it harder for them to graze and also then can get sores in their nose. Another thing we found one year was that they can be uncomfortable if you use them in frosty weather - we had calves with 3-4 inch icicles on the flaps in mid October.
 
We use the same kind as DejaVu is indicating at Valley Vet.
We tried the ones similar to those quiet wean but they did not retain as well.
 
The word must be out about these things...just ordered 50 to try from Valley Vet and they cost $2.15 each. Next price break was at 100 for $2.05 ea. I got the green ones with a wing nut. The orange ones were $1.69 each for 100.

I'm giving these things a try on a group of 40-some calves that are separate from the big herd. The old man isn't too optimistic about these things being worth the trouble, but I'm willing to try it. Worst case scenario, I'm out a hundred bucks and a couple hours of work. Doesn't seem like much of a risk.

We wean the first week of Oct. so I'll try to render my opinion shortly after. We'll have about 275 somewhat fenceline-weaned calves in addition to the 40+ two-step weaned calves.
 

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