Weaning Age?

[NHR]

A few questions for everyone:

What age do you all wean your show heifers?

Is there any downside to weaning early?

We are considering weaning a heifer at 4 months of age. Is this crazy or do others do the same thing.

 

[pigguy]

it will be fine we wean show calves at 4-5 months and commercail 7-8

 

[DL]

Ain't crazy! As long as the heifer is eating (pasture, hay, grain, ie creep) it should not be a big deal - I usually (except this year) wean all my calves at once and there is usually a straggler who is just 2  or 2 and a half months of age and it just doesn't seem to be an issue.I usually vaccinate once before weaning, also give an intranasal respiratory vaccine, and go for it. Repeat vaccine couple weeks after weaning. Good luck....

 

[NHR]

Ain't crazy! As long as the heifer is eating (pasture, hay, grain, ie creep) it should not be a big deal - I usually (except this year) wean all my calves at once and there is usually a straggler who is just 2  or 2 and a half months of age and it just doesn't seem to be an issue.I usually vaccinate once before weaning, also give an intranasal respiratory vaccine, and go for it. Repeat vaccine couple weeks after weaning. Good luck....

She is eating good, she has been sleeping in the creep pen all day long for the past month on the hot days. She is eating grass and sucking down two cows.

 

[pigguy]

sounds like she is ready to be weaned ;D

 

[SKF]

We wean all of our show calves between 4-5 months of age. Never has been a problem.

 

[red]

We usually wean early too. Just makes them easier to work w/ when they're smaller. I wean March calves around Memorial Day. Has worked well for us in the past. I also give them creep feed right off the start. Make sure all are eating fairly well before I wean.

Red

 

[Doc]

Just weaned some this weekend , with the youngest being born on May 22nd. All of them are creeping good .