When to let calves out to the pasture.

[Auntina]

Our bottle calves: one is a week old and the other two are 10 days old. When can we let them out to the pasture? My husband is keeping them in an outbuilding to protect them from the wind and cooler temps. (lower 50's in the evening--windy, 70's in the day--windy) My thoughts are if you baby them, they will never get adjusted to the climate and we're going to have problems later. We have let them out once-it was 80 degrees, and they ran around, kicked their legs, played, and then layed in the tall grass under a tree. At feeding time, we brought them back into the outbuilding for the evening. There is straw on the ground for bedding.
What to do? Leave them in the outbuilding or let them run free for the day? Won't they go back to the outbuilding on their own if they needed to?
We lived in Missouri at one time and their winter was much harsher than the ones we have experienced here in Kansas. We never locked up our calves in the snow or rain. They would come in on their own. Then again, we bought those in the spring so they weren't as young as these when winter hit.

 

[greybeard]

Do you have a pen next to the outbuilding? If so, start letting them into that 1st. Not so much for climate/temp acclimation but for them to understand and learn where "home" is. And you didn't mention how large the pasture is, whether you have any predators around, or if there is any more livestock already in that pasture. Even calves will have the herding instnicnt and will want to stay with any other stock in pasture rather than independently coming back to 'home' each night. I've never raised a bottle calf, but calves born in and left in pasture are the least likely and least easy to get penned up, even if you can get their mommas penned. I'd give them another week close to where they are just to make sure they accept you as the caregiver, but not so much because of the temps.
Lower 50s is no where near harsh enough to warrant keeping them indoors. That's near perfect weather for young calves imo. And even yearlings are apt to run and kick whenever a gate is opened to a new pasture or setting. They just see it as new territory to explore.

 

[Auntina]

We've had these calves for 6 days today and have been feeding them in the outbuilding since the first day. The area which I want to send them out to right now is only about 1 1/2 acres. We have no other livestock and I have heard coyotes in the evening. Even found there fecxes in my pasture. Because of the size and age of the calves- and the coyotes- we lock them up after there last feeding. I took the chance and opened the gate and they came out, (with a little help) and are lying about 10 feet from the outbuilding. There is also a bucket of water outside for them as well as one inside. I left the gate open so they can go in and out as they please. I also have some grain in the outbuilding for them. I'll read up on the coyotes and their habits.