Is “fenceline weaning” the way for me to go?
With the calf market changing to make selling heavier weight calves more profitable for the small cow-calf operator, it seems to necessitate weaning and holding calves past the normal 400-500 pound sale weight. Sometimes this is difficult for the small cow-calf operator to accomplish. So, if you don’t have adequate facilities for conventional weaning, how do you accomplish the weaning and holding to heavier weights?
In my small operation, I have had great difficulty in the past in weaning calves because my facilities were such there was not a place to move calves and successfully keep them separated from their mothers. A couple of years ago I read an article in a magazine about “fenceline weaning.” Fenceline weaning has enabled me to wean calves successfully with minimum problems of the cows and calves getting back together, thus thwarting the weaning process.
The Steps
Fenceline weaning starts with moving the mother cows and calves to be weaned into a small pasture with adequate grazing, water and bordered by an electric fence. My cattle are accustomed to electric fences because all of my interior pastures and fields are bordered by that type fence. I have never had a problem with my cows, bulls or calves getting out of an electric fence, although I have had plenty of problems with them getting out of conventional barbed wire or net wire fences.
Leaving the cows and calves in the small pasture for three or four days, or sometimes up to a week, I’ll separate the cows and calves, moving the cows into an adjoining pasture. Of course, the calves run the fence, sometimes getting desperate and brave enough to test the electric fence – once – but I’ve never had one cross the fence and get back with it’s mother. Nor have I had a mother cow cross the fence to get back with the calf.
There will be considerable bawling the first couple of days, but it calms down after that, although the cows and calves may lie next to each other across the fence for a week or more. I consider the calves weaned after they’ve been away from their mother for 7 days and mark them so in my records. When they are separated, they are fed a medicated creep feed each day (I don’t have facilities to offer a self-fed creep, so hand feed them each morning). I’ve found hand feeding also calms them down and after just a couple of days, they’re waiting for their feed each morning near the trough.
Handling and selling the calves
Shortly after the calves are considered weaned, I’ll load them up, haul them to a neighbor’s place (he has a set of scales and I don’t) and weigh them. Then, I’ll run them through the chute, giving them their weaning shots, etc. I then put them back into the small “weaning pasture” where they’ll stay until they weigh close to 700 pounds and are ready to sell.
Taking the calves to the local auction, I always tell them the calves are weaned and started on feed, and since I’ve been utilizing the fenceline weaning, my calves have brought near the top of the market the day they are sold.
Utilizing my CattleMax software program helps me to keep up with the days of age of the calves, determining when they are ready to wean. It’s also convenient for me to print a report showing the calf’s ID and the mother cow’s ID to have as I’m cutting them out of the herd to begin the weaning process.
Fenceline weaning may not be the answer for everyone, but it has sure worked well for this small operator.
I would be interested in comments from others concerning what weaning methods they use and/or if fenceline weaning has worked well for you.
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I fenceline weaned this year. It worked great. I creep fed for about 2 weeks in August. Then the feral hogs found the creep feeder. In september I would pen the cows and calves(55 of each), let the cows out and then feed the calves. It was real easy after the second or third time.
When weaning time came I didn’t let the calves out, just increased feed. 10 days later i hauled to town to weigh and work. It was great!!
I learned of fenceline procedures from Dr Ron Gill and Dr Paschal from Texas Agrilife Ext Service at one of the Texas A & M Cattle Beef Short Courses. So, last year-after installing another pump with Solar Cells, I set the water trough mid fenceline and decided that since I have a 23 acre pasture open with grass, cut the calves from the cows and run them into the 23 acre pasture. It really works great and even now, I take a seperate bale over to the calves and they are starting to eat from my hand. Going to market probably in February or March with 11 black baldies that have the same dispositions as their Mamas.
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