Weaning calves again

My cows should start giving birth in March.  I have five calves left over from last year.  Two born last March, one born in May, one July 1 and the last born in September (D-14).  I figured the three oldest calves' mothers would have kicked them off of their udders by now but a couple weeks ago I saw the May calf sucking from his mother. I don't want calves sucking on a cow when the cow is getting closer to giving birth to another calf.  The mothers need to only be providing nutrients to their new unborn calf.

Yesterday I put a large hay bale out for the cows to eat.  Not all cows can eat at the same time so I put some extra hay in the corral's wooden feeders.  Donna helped me to get the calves into the south part of the corral so I can start weaning them.  Four calves were fairly easy to get there.  One of the older calves (55's "Panda's" calf) was eating at the large bale feeder.  Around and around and around the large feeder we went as I tried to herd him back into the corral.  Finally I was able to do it.

By evening when I refilled the water trough before bed Diamond (the September mother) and Mama (the July mother) were in the corral calling to their calves.  And the calves were calling back.  The May mother came into the corral and looked around but didn't make much of  fuss for her calf.  Today the July calf and September calf and their mothers were still calling for each other.  The July calf and the September mother were the two nosiest animals.  By evening everyone had quieted down.

The calf born last May.

The calf born last July.  She was the noisiest and walked around and around her part of the corral.

Mama

In the following photo this is Diamond and Toby.  Diamond is the September mother.   Diamond should have been bred by Toby already.  But for whatever reason this morning Toby was not eating and was paying lots of attention to Diamond like she was in heat.

The rest of the cattle posing this morning by their large hay bale.