Early weaning

[Adam Freeman]

What are your thoughts on early weaning. With our weather and the lack of rain the past 3 years was contemplating early weaning of the calves this year. Grass is getting pretty thin and not alot coming in. My early spring coolweather grass pasture is really short so was thinking of moving the cows back to the big pasture and weaning the calves early in the spring pasture. Calves were born in February.

 

[Dave]

How early is early? How big are the calves? Around here 3 weight calves and bigger are selling good. Calves much lighter than that not so well.

 

[kenny thomas]

At 3 months old they couldn't be very big. I would supplement the cows if possible instead.

 

[aprille218]

Can you creep feed the calves for a month? 4 month olds are likely to do better plus be heavier and worth more.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Yes. Here 300lb calves are selling like hotcakes!
Especially if weaned a few weeks and vaccinated etc...

They will require some feed most likely.

 

[Brute 23]

It's one if the best things you can do, especially with these prices.

Keeping calves on cows too long can send a chain reaction of light calves, stressed cows, late breeding, etc that can plague you for for several years after.

Don't burn the factory down for ones years production.

 

[kenny thomas]

Yes. Here 300lb calves are selling like hotcakes!
Especially if weaned a few weeks and vaccinated etc...

They will require some feed most likely.

Ok, other than bottle calves why would 300lb calves be weaned a few weeks..

 

[MurraysMutts]

Ok, other than bottle calves why would 300lb calves be weaned a few weeks..

I don't know. But folks been doing it. And they are bringing near 900 bucks. 300 to 350lbs. It's madness!

Some folks told me they weaned em early just like the o.p is wanting to do to save grass and gets cows back in condition.

 

[kenny thomas]

I don't know. But folks been doing it. And they are bringing near 900 bucks. 300 to 350lbs. It's madness!

Some folks told me they weaned em early just like the o.p is wanting to do to save grass and gets cows back in condition.

Are they buying them to turn out on grass, feed them, or play cowboy?

 

[MurraysMutts]

@kenny thomas
I've wondered the same thing!

There is a LOT of wheat pasture being grazed out instead of cut for hay.
Maybe failed wheat crops have a lot to do with it here.

 

[kenny thomas]

@kenny thomas
I've wondered the same thing!

There is a LOT of wheat pasture being grazed out instead of cut for hay.
Maybe failed wheat crops have a lot to do with it here.

Very good possibility. If they can collect insurance and still graze it maybe it will work.

 

[kenny thomas]

I mention play cowboy because some of the highest small calves i ever seen sold were for roping and related activities.

 

[Travlr]

What are your thoughts on early weaning. With our weather and the lack of rain the past 3 years was contemplating early weaning of the calves this year. Grass is getting pretty thin and not alot coming in. My early spring coolweather grass pasture is really short so was thinking of moving the cows back to the big pasture and weaning the calves early in the spring pasture. Calves were born in February.

If you're thinking about weaning calves early because you don't have the pasture to keep them fed you are running too many cows.

If you are raising calves to sell for profit why would you sell 300 pound calves for $750 when you have a built in feed bag (cow) that you are going to have to feed all year, and will take them to 500 pounds when they will sell for $1150? How is taking 25% or less for your entire years production good business?

To put it another way, do the guys buying 300 pound calves make money at it? If they do, why would you let them make the money you could have made by keeping your calves?

 

[MurraysMutts]

If you're thinking about weaning calves early because you don't have the pasture to keep them fed you are running too many cows.

If you are raising calves to sell for profit why would you sell 300 pound calves for $750 when you have a built in feed bag (cow) that you are going to have to feed all year, and will take them to 500 pounds when they will sell for $1150? How is taking 25% or less for your entire years production good business?

To put it another way, do the guys buying 300 pound calves make money at it? If they do, why would you let them make the money you could have made by keeping your calves?

As bad as I hated to do it, I cut numbers late summer/early fall. Drought made me.

As many others have said.
Sometimes it's a blessing.

 

[Travlr]

As bad as I hated to it, I cut numbers late summer/early fall. Drought made me.

As many others have said.
Sometimes it's a blessing.

Like I said... running too many cows for conditions. But that's really an entirely different subject.

 

[Buck Randall]

To put it another way, do the guys buying 300 pound calves make money at it? If they do, why would you let them make the money you could have made by keeping your calves?

The guys buying 300 pound calves make money, the guys buying 800 pound feeder cattle make money, the guys buying 1400 pound fat cattle make money, and the guys buying boxed beef make money. That doesn't mean everyone should be trying to do all of it themselves.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Yep. Every step of the way needs to make a dollar for those folks that do it to keep on keeping on!

 

[Travlr]

The guys buying 300 pound calves make money, the guys buying 800 pound feeder cattle make money, the guys buying 1400 pound fat cattle make money, and the guys buying boxed beef make money. That doesn't mean everyone should be trying to do all of it themselves.

How long are you feeding the cow that produces a calf? Why would you sell the profit you are making with the cow, early, to someone else?

Your input for the year are pretty much the same whether you are selling for 300 pounds or for 500 pounds.

For Cripe sake... do the math.

 

[Buck Randall]

How long are you feeding the cow that produces a calf? Why would you sell the profit you are making with the cow, early, to someone else?

Your input for the year are pretty much the same whether you are selling for 300 pounds or for 500 pounds.

For Cripe sake... do the math.

The OP answered your question in the initial post. They're in a severe drought and don't have enough grass. It's not about making profit, it's about mitigating losses.

 

[Travlr]

The OP answered your question in the initial post. They're in a severe drought and don't have enough grass. It's not about making profit, it's about mitigating losses.

And I answered him with better advice than to sell early and take a loss on what he produces instead of waiting until the calves are big enough to make more money.

I also mentioned that if he's not able to carry them to weaning weight due to a lack of pasture, he's carrying too many cows.

It would be better to do a stringent cull and get rid of his less productive cows that to keep all of them and sell the calves early. This is the time to better his herd, especially with cow prices up.