Weaning Time! Nov/Dec

Brian weaning calves at home corral

Weaning Time at the Ranch!

This is the time we separate the cows from the calves and vaccinate the calves and worm them. We also worm the cows. We usually gather the pairs in groups of about 150 to 200 and bring the calves to the main corral by the house. We  then leave the cows in the fall/winter pastures. We have about 500 calves to wean. It takes most of Nov. and Dec to do this. After they are weaned we either sell some the calves( keeping our best heifers for relacements) or send them to a feedlot for another 8 months or so until they are 1300 pounds to harvest.  It depends on the price of feed and the price of weaned calves as to what we may end up doing. 

Gathering cow pairs 

Moving down the road

Checking for openings

Going in corral

Sorting calves from cows

Backing trailor to load calves

Awesome calf!

"I'm ready"

Getting ready to go

Calves are sorted and then put in trailors to haul home from some pastures

The calves are vaccinated and wormed after getting home and settling down for a few days.

Vaccinating calves

Usually it takes most of Nov and Dec to wean and vaccinate and bring home all 500 calves.  Soon the the winter season of feeding the cows at home pastures starts.

Cynthia Nelson, Nelson Ranch