Day Weaning

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Barry Farms

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Jan 21, 2013
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North East MO
205 days is the standard for most commercial beef producers and seedstock breeders. I do this for the most part, but I am weaning a calf this summer at 4 months so I can show her. I will start to break her while her mother is locked in the shed so that she isnt to stressed and doesn't lose a lot of weight when I first break her, while breaking her I will convert her to solid feed and she can eat out of a creep feeder anytime.
 

Warrior10

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Aug 9, 2010
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Mason City, Ne
Barry Farms said:
205 days is the standard for most commercial beef producers and seedstock breeders. I do this for the most part, but I am weaning a calf this summer at 4 months so I can show her. I will start to break her while her mother is locked in the shed so that she isnt to stressed and doesn't lose a lot of weight when I first break her, while breaking her I will convert her to solid feed and she can eat out of a creep feeder anytime.
We are trying to shoot for an Sept sale instead of Oct this year so 205 is impossible for us. We weaned at 4 months last year without calves being on creep and had good luck. This year I am hoping to creep them May on  and day wean from Juneish on....
 

DCC show cattle

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Caldwell, Tx
Some cattle wean easier than others I typically wean springs in August/September and start creeping about a month before we wean. And it will be a lot easier on them
 

obie105

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Oct 17, 2011
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We have day weaned at 1-2 months before and it worked fine. Weaned fully off the cow at 4 months to show. I got told by a guy the other day that always has some of the heaviest calves at state fair time that to creep early. He starts them on creep at a month when they can first eat and there isnt good grass for the cows. Usually about March 1 so today and will continue til May 15 till cows go to pasture. He then takes them off creep while the grass is good. His show calves he brings up around July 1 and they start getting fed again with the rest of the calves possibly getting creep depending on his grass situation aug 1. It works well for him so I may give it a whirl this year.
 

obie105

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They are trying to be cost effective. Give all the calves an equal shot in the beginning then really pour it to the ones they are showing/selling in the fall and bring the others along at an average pace.
 

AAOK

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Jan 30, 2007
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Rogers, Ar
obie105 said:
We have day weaned at 1-2 months before and it worked fine. Weaned fully off the cow at 4 months to show. I got told by a guy the other day that always has some of the heaviest calves at state fair time that to creep early. He starts them on creep at a month when they can first eat and there isnt good grass for the cows. Usually about March 1 so today and will continue til May 15 till cows go to pasture. He then takes them off creep while the grass is good. His show calves he brings up around July 1 and they start getting fed again with the rest of the calves possibly getting creep depending on his grass situation aug 1. It works well for him so I may give it a whirl this year.

We did this with every calf planned for Show.  The only difference is I never creeped; just started them on our ration.  It just makes since to get that muscle growth started as soon as possible.
 
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