We weaned the calves above from Section 17 in the Greasy Creek watershed yesterday. We will haul them down the hill this morning after we preg-check our second-calf heifers, this year’s Wagyu X mothers. We will haul the bred cows up the hill, calves down.
Our thoughts about fenceline weaning have changed somewhat in the past couple of years. With the stress on both cow and calf our primary consideration, we’ve noticed that both cow and calf become more frustrated and fret more with just a fence between them. Completely separated from one another, they seem to get over the process in about four or five days, as opposed to a week. So we’re tweaking our program accordingly. The sooner we can get them down the hill where we can control the dust with sprinklers, the sooner we can reduce potential respiratory and eye problems.
The calves look 50-100 lbs. lighter this year, but we’re also weaning two or three weeks earlier than normal due to the dry spring.
drycrikjournal 