The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Cattle => Topic started by: trish.farm on October 23, 2014, 08:32:47 am
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With kind instructions from members of TAS and friends who are cattle farmers, I managed to wean (so far) without any upset. Got the 3 girls in with the 2 babies from the water meadows and put them in my small home paddock over night. Next morning i put mummy and her 2 babies in the adjoining yard and stable, then let mummy back out straight away. They could talk to each other through a five bar gate but not suckle. Meshed gate. Girls and babies all wormed and fluked (not an easy job). Babies on haylage and hay (they dont like the haylage) and 3 small feeds of soaked sugarbeet a day. Has kept their bellies full and content. Tiny bit of milk taken off by babies after 24 hours, dribble of milk taken off by me after 3 days as she was bursting. Mummy called to babies quietly a few times when they were lying down in the stable and out of sight. Day 6 was yesterday and we led the 3 girls off to their winter paddock the other side of our woods and very much in calling distance. 1 hour quiet until babies realised everyone had gone and piped up! A bit of calling back and forth last night but all is calm this morning and babies are tucking into their food, big girls are tucking into their winter grazing. The odd moo here and there but nobody overly distressed. Hoping i have got this right!! :fc:
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Lucky girls and babies to get such careful, considerate treatment :thumbsup:
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Sounds perfect!
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how long are you keeping them separate for?
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Calves will be in all winter, either that or they will be sold. I darent put them back out as when Daisy calves :fc: next spring, they will be straight back on her!!