About three months before Bella was due to calf we decided it was time to wean Molly. Actually Molly kind of decided herself, as she came on heat and was too busy moo-ing and pacing up and down to worry about having a drink, so we moved Bella into another paddock and I don't think Molly even noticed. The ideal time to wean depends on what you're doing. Large scale dairy farms typically separate calves from cows after a couple of days (after they have had their dose of colostrum) and feed the calves on excess milk from the vat. As this is extra labour, farmers aim to wean calves as early as possible, at around three months. By this time the calves' rumen will have developed enough so that they are getting adequate nutrition from grass and a grain ration. In beef cattle, the calves are left with their mothers for between six and nine months, they will be weaned early if there isn't enough feed in the paddock to support a lactating cow, and often the cal...