A Beautiful Sunday on the Farm: Weaning Calves
Updated: Feb 8
Our Joyful Day at the Farm
It was a beautiful Sunday. The weather was perfect, with temperatures in the low 70s. The sun shone brightly, creating a lovely atmosphere. We had planned to wean the calves in December, but the rain delayed us. You won’t hear me complaining about rain after years of severe drought. Thankfully, the calves and their mothers were in great shape, thanks to the lush grass provided by the recent rain.
After church, we dove straight into our work. We were especially excited because we had just replaced our automatic head gate with a new manual head gate on the squeeze chute. Although the squeeze chute and the automatic head gate were only a year old, they did not suit our needs. The mechanism often closed before horned cows and calves could pass through. With our wagyu cattle being horned, this simply didn’t work. Now, with the new manual head gate, we can operate it properly. We’re looking forward to getting used to the new handles.
If you know of anyone interested in an automatic head gate, which is only a year old, please have them give me a call!
The Importance of Gentle Cattle Handling
The more you work with your cattle, the easier they become to handle. Thankfully, ours are particularly docile. The only injuries of the day were from trying to get used to the new location of the head gate handle. Tim hit it repeatedly on his shoulder, resulting in a lump and scrape. I also had a mishap. One of our gentle cows decided to stroll forward unexpectedly.
With the outside gate open and the tub gate closed, I rushed to open the tub gate while shutting the outside gate. In my hasty attempt, I accidentally hit my ankle with the heavy swing gate. Ouch! I might have uttered a word I shouldn’t have. Despite my bad bruise and swelling on my Achilles tendon, the work had to continue. Meanwhile, the cow just stood there, seemingly amused, as if to say, "Take your time. I’m not going anywhere."
All the moms were sad to see their babies loaded onto the trailer. However, they now have a break before the next calves arrive in a few months. We typically wean the calves when they are 6-8 months old. At this time, we transport them to our pasture in Warda to help them adjust to being away from their mothers. Cows are incredibly nurturing, and it often takes several days for them to stop crying.
Life at Warda: Peaceful Pastures Await
Once the calves get past missing their moms, they enjoy their time in the pastures at Warda. They remain there until they reach about 18 months old. Then, we bring them back home for finishing. During this time, we visit several times each week. When we whistle, they come running because they know hay is on the way.
In addition to hay, we provide them with range cubes. These cubes serve as a valuable supplement, especially during the colder months. Our calves quickly learn to associate our whistle with treats, and soon they become our lifelong friends.
As you may know, a tree recently fell on Tim’s tractor, complicating our feeding routine. Despite this setback, we manage to keep everything running smoothly. Here’s a fun video of our grandkids lending a hand during feeding time!
Thank you for joining us on our farm journey. Your support means the world to our small family farm.
May God bless you and your family!
We live on the edge of Moulton in front of the park. We have pastures on 2 sides. It breaks my heart when they take the babies away. The Mamas are so sad. I know it is life but it still is sad. It is the same when our babies leave home.