Summer's in full swing, and we've been blessed with plenty of rain! The millet I planted last month is looking great, and will be a huge help to the calves we just weaned last week. The standard age to wean calves is around 6-9 months of age. My cows calve November through December each year, so these calves were ready to be weaned, and the cows were more than ready for a break from nursing a calf. With forage being at its peak quality this time of year, right now will be a good break for those cows to get in great condition for the next calving season coming up!
Weaning calves can be a stressful time, but the situation I'm in means I'm able to keep my calves and make the whole process as low-stress as possible, keeping the cows in the pasture right next to their calves until the calves are settled and don't care about being with the cows.
Since the calves are never under a lot of stress, they don't lose weight after being weaned, so right now they're looking really good! Next week, the millet I planted will be tall enough to graze, so I'll start rotating the calves on that to help them get the nutrients and protein they need to thrive. In Florida, while it looks like we have grass most of the year, the quality of that grass is really only at it’s peak for a couple months each summer. By August, the protein content starts declining more and more until the following year. Millet is an annual, meaning it has to be planted every year and doesn’t just grow back on its own. However, it’s very high in digestible nutrients, which helps keep the calves in good body condition, even when Bahia grass is declining.
For the next year or so, I'll get to watch these calves grow, which has been something I've really enjoyed since I started raising beef. Raising calves is something I enjoyed since I started, but getting to see them grow in to something is something I’ve only been able to do since I started finishing and selling the beef- and it’s been really rewarding!