The Breeding Herd 61 



and thus three weeks' unnecessary delay in the time of 

 breeding and calving. Heifers should be bred to calve 

 at about three years of age, unless they are especially well 

 fed, when they may calve at two years. They come in 

 heat first at six to twelve months of age, and if allowed to 

 run with the bull will calve too early. Heifers should, 

 therefore, be kept in a separate herd from weaning until 

 ready to breed. 



WEANING 



Spring calves should be weaned some time the next 

 fall. There need be no hurry so long as the grass is good ; 

 in fact, it is best not to wean until the feed in the pasture 

 is gone. Weaning should not be deferred after the cows 

 are on winter feed. A pasture at some distance from 

 where the cows are kept is a good place to wean calves, 

 but the fences must be practically hog tight, not only 

 where the calves are but also where the cows are kept. 

 Such pastures are seldom found on ranches where cattle 

 is the leading industry. The method is to shut the 

 calves up in a tight corral and feed them all the hay they 

 want during the winter. Such a corral should be on rather 

 dry ground, and provided with good watering facilities 

 and a dry well-bedded shed besides the necessary racks. 

 Refuse or damaged hay may be fed, but it usually pays 

 to feed rather heavily of good clover or alfalfa all winter. 

 Timothy is expensive and not the best feed for calves or 

 any other kind of cattle. Wild hays are not as good as 

 the legumes, although some of the upland hays are very 

 nutritious. Slough grass and tules are poor feed. Of 

 course there are cattle sections where timothy or wild 

 hay must be used, as there is nothing else available. In 

 such places it is necessary to feed it, but as good results 



