It is time to think about weaning this year’s calves.  We typically wait until the calves are between 7 and 8 months old.  We like to have the calves with the Mom’s as long as possible for several reasons….Momma’s train their babies on safe practices, where the best grazing spots are, how to fight off coyotes and wild dogs, that the people who feed you are good to be around, and most of all provide the nutritional benefit of milk.

Since weaning can be a stressful time for both the calves and the cows.  The traditional method involves removing all the calves at one time, putting them in a pen out of sight (and out of hearing range) from their mothers, and then letting them settle down over the next few days.  When that happens we have a chorus of mooing that goes on for a long time.  Day and Night!

It works but it is stressful for both the cows and the calves and me.  I hate hearing the longing in their voices.  But babies do need to grow-up, and this is a necessary practice.

After years and years of doing it the loud way, we started doing a thing called soft weaning where the calves are removed from the cow herd and allowed to stay in an adjacent pen where they are in full view of their Moms.  Once they are separated the cow and calf will often lie together on different sides of the fence and be much more relaxed than if they were completely separated.  After a few days we make the main break moving the calves to their new place and the Mom’s back out on the pasture. We can do this because we have a very small herd.  Very small! 

Weaning is an important part of over-all health of the Mother and the calf.  Otherwise the Mom will keep on nursing her full-grown calf even after she has another calf.  Not good.  Cows are the eternal Earth Mother: they just can never stop taking care of their babies.