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Beef calves are not usually weaned off their dams until the calves are between 8 and 10 months of age. [22] Before a calf is completely weaned off of milk, for both dairy and beef cattle, the calf must have developed a fully functioning rumen. [23] For beef cattle, there are many methods of weaning that are used. Options include:
A nine-month-old steer or bull is therefore expected to weigh about 250 to 270 kg (550 to 600 lb). Heifers will weigh at least 200 kg (440 lb) at eight months of age. 150 days old calf. Calves are usually weaned at about eight to nine months of age, but depending on the season and condition of the dam, they might be weaned earlier.
A weanling horse is a foal that has been weaned, usually between four and six months old. Once it is a year old, the horse is referred to as a yearling. Weanlings are separated from their dam and often grouped with other weanlings to keep each other company. Weaning is a very stressful time for a foal. [4] [5]: 231
A calf-weaning ring prevents suckling. Calf-weaning nose rings, sometimes called weaners, are pain-based anti-suckling devices. These nose rings (usually made of plastic) clip onto the nose without piercing it, and are reusable. They provide an alternative to separating calves from their mothers during the weaning period.
A foal at about weaning age. A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal is nursing from its dam (mother), it may also be called a "suckling".
A single calf is born and usually weighs 40–65 kg (88–143 lb). Calves are unsteady for their first two to three days of life. When threatened, the baby will run in front of the mother, which is very protective of her calf and will fight for it vigorously. Weaning starts at two months, but the calf may continue suckling for over 12 months.
The gestation period lasts 270 days and mothers give birth to 1–2 offspring. The calf remains hidden 6 weeks after birth, after which mother and calf rejoin the herd. The calf is weaned at 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 months, becomes independent at 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 months, and achieves sexual maturity at 1 + 1 ⁄ 2 –2 years in both sexes. [12]
A cow calf operation is a method of rearing beef cattle in which a permanent herd of cows is kept by a farmer or rancher to produce calves for later sale. Cow–calf operations are one of the key aspects of the beef industry in the United States and many other countries. [1] In the British Isles, a cow–calf operation may be known as a single ...