Mama cow bawling - why is it so hard?

[BarnyardChaos]

We have a small herd of 14 --- bull, heifers, steers, calves.... and loaded three youngsters off to auction today. One of these was a 4-month bully calf born in our pasture. (He's already well on starter feed and hay, and ready to be weaned.) His mama heifer, "Corona", is bawling her poor big heart out tonight, to the dismay of all the neighbors, I'm sure. And she's gonna keep us up all night.

I HATE this part of cattle raising! Separating the mamas from their babies..... they cry for days! And no wonder. Wouldn't you? We are a small place, surrounded by other small and mid-size cattle farmers, so we all go through this agony of hearing their bawling every spring and every fall when the feeders are sorted out.

Our Corona will cry for a day or two, since her baby isn't here to answer. The mamas of the other two cried for only one night, as they were older. But the neighbor to our south has a bigger operation, and he separates the youngsters into a pen for vaccinations, sorting and what-not, and the mamas ALL surround this pen until the kiddos are taken away. The BAWLING from both herds resonates up and down the hillsides for DAYS, and all NIGHT.

It's easier for me to slaughter a chicken I've raised from an egg in the incubator, than it is for me to hear Corona's cries tonight. Sigh.

 

[Aunt Angus]

We have a small herd of 14 --- bull, heifers, steers, calves.... and loaded three youngsters off to auction today. One of these was a 4-month bully calf born in our pasture. (He's already well on starter feed and hay, and ready to be weaned.) His mama heifer, "Corona", is bawling her poor big heart out tonight, to the dismay of all the neighbors, I'm sure. And she's gonna keep us up all night.

I HATE this part of cattle raising! Separating the mamas from their babies..... they cry for days! And no wonder. Wouldn't you? We are a small place, surrounded by other small and mid-size cattle farmers, so we all go through this agony of hearing their bawling every spring and every fall when the feeders are sorted out.

Our Corona will cry for a day or two, since her baby isn't here to answer. The mamas of the other two cried for only one night, as they were older. But the neighbor to our south has a bigger operation, and he separates the youngsters into a pen for vaccinations, sorting and what-not, and the mamas ALL surround this pen until the kiddos are taken away. The BAWLING from both herds resonates up and down the hillsides for DAYS, and all NIGHT.

It's easier for me to slaughter a chicken I've raised from an egg in the incubator, than it is for me to hear Corona's cries tonight. Sigh.

I couldn't do it. My heart is breaking just reading this. I imagine it's hard because you know why she's crying and you know her heart is breaking, too. I'm so sorry....

 

[cassie]

Is there a reason you have to separate them?

 

[tripletfeb]

We have a small herd of 14 --- bull, heifers, steers, calves.... and loaded three youngsters off to auction today. One of these was a 4-month bully calf born in our pasture. (He's already well on starter feed and hay, and ready to be weaned.) His mama heifer, "Corona", is bawling her poor big heart out tonight, to the dismay of all the neighbors, I'm sure. And she's gonna keep us up all night.

I HATE this part of cattle raising! Separating the mamas from their babies..... they cry for days! And no wonder. Wouldn't you? We are a small place, surrounded by other small and mid-size cattle farmers, so we all go through this agony of hearing their bawling every spring and every fall when the feeders are sorted out.

Our Corona will cry for a day or two, since her baby isn't here to answer. The mamas of the other two cried for only one night, as they were older. But the neighbor to our south has a bigger operation, and he separates the youngsters into a pen for vaccinations, sorting and what-not, and the mamas ALL surround this pen until the kiddos are taken away. The BAWLING from both herds resonates up and down the hillsides for DAYS, and all NIGHT.

It's easier for me to slaughter a chicken I've raised from an egg in the incubator, than it is for me to hear Corona's cries tonight. Sigh.

This is one reason that my family farm takes the calves away from mom almost as soon as they are born. Mom won't bond with them and won't cry when the calves go. That being said, the noise must be heartbreaking!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Is there a reason you have to separate them?

To sell them. We don't keep cows for pets - they are food. This year, we have too many cattle and calves for our own needs, so we sell some. Cuts down on the feed bill and puts money in our pockets to pay for things like, oh, more chickens maybe. No seriously, we process some of them for the freezer, and pay bills with the rest.

It's how farmers get a calf to raise up for their own beef (if they didn't get enough from their own herd or to replace losses), how farmers and ranchers keep variety in the gene pool of their herds, and how "feeder" operations gather herds to feed out for the beef market.

We bought four from a neighbor one year, to help him out of a tight spot financially. Two cows, and their two grown offspring. At 14 and 16 months, these two younger cattle were still nursing on their mothers. Sometimes you have to separate them to force weaning, if the mama cow doesn't do it herself.

 

[cassie]

To sell them. We don't keep cows for pets - they are food. This year, we have too many cattle and calves for our own needs, so we sell some. Cuts down on the feed bill and puts money in our pockets to pay for things like, oh, more chickens maybe. No seriously, we process some of them for the freezer, and pay bills with the rest.

It's how farmers get a calf to raise up for their own beef (if they didn't get enough from their own herd or to replace losses), how farmers and ranchers keep variety in the gene pool of their herds, and how "feeder" operations gather herds to feed out for the beef market.

We bought four from a neighbor one year, to help him out of a tight spot financially. Two cows, and their two grown offspring. At 14 and 16 months, these two younger cattle were still nursing on their mothers. Sometimes you have to separate them to force weaning, if the mama cow doesn't do it herself.

I was just wondering. I left the calves on my cows longer, but then I raised the calves until they were older than yours before I sold them or separated them. By then the cows were pretty much sick of them. Even if the calves were still nursing by then my cows didn't make much of a fuss. The calves sure did if they were still on the place though.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I was just wondering. I left the calves on my cows longer, but then I raised the calves until they were older than yours before I sold them or separated them. By then the cows were pretty much sick of them. Even if the calves were still nursing by then my cows didn't make much of a fuss. The calves sure did if they were still on the place though.

I hear 'ya. I wish we'd left him with her a month or so longer, but my husband handles the cattle operation, and I do chickens. His decision, and he felt the need to get the calf to a specific auction along with two others we had just received. So it is what it is.

She's still out there bawling.

 

[SourRoses]

People used to think the only way to wean horses was the cold turkey method. But over the years a slow wean process has gained a lot of adherents as being better for everybody.
It's not like they forget their offspring that quickly, animals are not that stupid the way people used to think because it made their jobs easier.
They just give up on their cries working, the same way humans pull up their bootstraps and try to keep going after a loss.
I don't mean this as any kind of judgment, only encouragement. Let your actions reflect your feelings and you'll be a lot happier. If something feels wrong, maybe it is. And your husband should take your feelings into account when you have to live with the effects.