Getting Comfortable

Last week, we rounded up all the main herd and filtered them through the barn in an effort to ear tag all the younger calves that we had not gotten to yet. We also put green weaner clips in two bull calves that are big enough to be weaned.

With everyone tagged and the two calves sporting their green weaner clips, we let the whole herd back out to graze in the big field and around the lower portion of the hillside. The weaner clips have proved to be a great way to wean calves. The calves can graze right alongside their mothers without being able to nurse. The cows dry up their milk production while giving comfort to their offspring. No bellowing, no pacing, no frantic fence destroying, no issues.

After five days with the weaner clips in place, we moved the herd back to the barn and sorted out the two calves. Mike had loaded up heifer #23 from the show barn and brought her across the river to where we had the main herd. She is now old enough to be bred so we put her into the main herd where the herd sire is residing. After unloading her we loaded the two bulls, #49 and #51 and brought them over to the show barn.

Once inside the show both #49 and #51 found out they have a pen to themselves and that they have free choice of feed 24 hours a day. Both calves are 7 months old at this weaning stage and weigh between 700-800 lbs each. The cows did a great job raising these two. I was able to remove the clips easily when they locked their heads int the stanchions to eat.

They are now getting used to being pen mates and really enjoy the sliced apples that I add to their meals.

When the boys are comfortable with their surroundings and the new idea of surviving without their mothers, anywhere from four days to a week, we will transfer them out of the show barn and into the bull pen with the other two nearly-yearling bulls that were weaned earlier. In the bull pen they will have large grazing areas, a loafing barn and tall trees to hang around.

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