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 
