Calf weaning tools

More-recent work shows that killed vaccines, modified live intranasal vaccines or adjuvanted modified live vaccines used in calves as young as a couple months-of-age can protect against active infection with viruses, such as BVDV.

Changing the timing of vaccination programs to respond to challenges, such as drought, always brings a bit of uncertainty. Jan This method has been shown to reduce behavioral signs of calf stress after weaning compared to traditional weaning methods; however, subsequent beneficial effects on calf performance are still questionable. As an example, Haley et al. This is after complete separation from the dams and compared to calves assigned to traditional weaning.

However, after separation, the traditional weaned calves walked twice as much and bawled 20 times more often that two-stage calves. In terms of performance, Haley et al. After weaning and consequent nose ring removal and total separation from the dam, ADG was either greater or similar for two-stage weaned calves compared to traditionally weaned calves. However, overall calf ADG pre- and post-weaning was not improved by the two-stage weaning method. These inconsistent benefits of the two-stage weaning method on calf performance were attributed by the authors to the poor quality of the forages available for calf consumption, which greatly affected the calves not allowed to nurse.

Therefore, the nutritional value of diets offered during the period in which calves receive the nose clips should be taken into consideration before implementing the two-stage weaning method.

Weaning calves reduces the nutrient requirements of the cow. It will allow the cow to transfer nutrients previously going to milk production to her own body function, improving her own condition and preparing for the next calving. Cows that calve in moderate BCS 5 or 6 are able to recover, cycle and become pregnant sooner than cows that come through the winter in poor condition less than 4. This is particularly important in young cows that have additional requirements of growth.

Considering a lb cow and a lb calf, forage consumed prior to weaning is around 37 lbs of total forage per cow-calf pair, compared to 24 lbs of total forage consumed by the weaned cow assuming calves are sold or managed in a drylot. Beef calves are traditionally weaned between months of age.

However, cattle can be reared on forages and concentrates as early as 90 days of age. In fact, weaning at days of age can be accomplished with proper nutritional management of the calf.

Early-weaned calves fed concentrate diets beginning at time of weaning have comparable weight gains compared that of nursing cohorts. Feedlot performance of EW calves, however, has been variable and highly dependent on the age at weaning, as well as nutritional and management background of the calf prior to and after EW. Nevertheless, profit of a cow-calf operation is highly influenced by management and marketing of the calf crop.

The EW calves must be fed a nutrient dense diet which almost always includes some sort of concentrate and increased labor. Typically, if EW calves are not retained for a period of time, EW reduces the gross income of the ranch. Management of the post-weaned calf will vary depending on the marketing program adopted by the cow-calf producer.

Regardless of marketing option, there are a couple of management aspects that must be evaluated to ensure maximal return on investment.

Again, the Superior Livestock Vaccination Program also recommends specific vaccination protocols for calves that are weaned and then maintained at the cow-calf ranch for a preconditioning period before shipping to the feedlot VAC 45 and VAC Precon. More information about specific preconditioning strategies will be discussed in a separate article. However, basic nutritional management should be followed to ensure that calves are in adequate nutrition and will respond efficiently if a preconditioning approach is adopted.

Depending on the weaning strategy incorporated, the level of stress should dictate the type of nutritional management. Typically, a higher level of stress increases the need for energy, protein, and minerals.

Unfortunately, stress causes a depression in intake; therefore a highly palatable and digestible feed source is preferred. Recently-weaned calves also need to have unrestricted access to a clean, abundant water source at all times.

Most non-forage fiber sources are highly palatable and complement forage and grain sources that may also be fed. The period of viral shedding following MLV vaccination could be many days, so removing the calves from the cow herd on the day of vaccination doesn't avoid the problem. If you have concerns about vaccine virus causing problems when you vaccinate calves prior to weaning then use killed virus vaccines.

Consult your veterinarian. Skip to main content. Weaning calves Producer Questions prior to What is the earliest age that I can wean calves? Should calves be weaned earlier on first-calf-females? If I were to wean calves at 2 months old, would I have to keep them out of sight of the mother or is it better to keep them in a fenced area in sight of the mother? My question is if a cow is lactating heavily with good grass and we wean the calves will it hurt the cow udder for next year? Will we have to give the cow anything or take her off grass to dry her up?

Is it better to vaccinate with a KV and leave the calves on the cows and then pull them off in 2 to 3 weeks and revaccinate with MLV or pull them off and vaccinate with a MLV and then revaccinate?

What is the earliest age that I can wean calves? We are thinking of weaning calves at 3 to 4 months of age. We calve April first for 65 days. The effect on cow performance is pretty consistent, while the results from feedlot growth and carcass traits of early-weaned calves is anything but consistent.

It is a reasonable conclusion that it would be more efficient to wean the calf and use feed resources directly to the calf to produce weight gain compared to using those feed resources to feed cows to produce milk for calf weight gain.

Secondly, when there is no calf nursing the cow, it eliminates a nutritional stress on that cow that can affect her ability to cycle, get bred, and even produce milk in the next lactation. This feature will be significantly more important in young cows. Consider the results of a couple of research trials that evaluated cow reproductive performance and weight gain after calves were weaned early. These results clearly show cows will have a higher pregnancy rate, gain more body weight, and have a higher condition score if the calf is removed at an earlier age.

In addition, Odhiambo et al has shown these cows are more likely to stay in the herd longer and will have a calf with a higher weaning weight in the next calving and lactation. In summary, there is significant evidence to show early weaning calves will increase performance of beef cows, particularly for young cows and when there is a nutritional stress on the cow.

While the results for cows is more clear-cut, there is no such consistency with performance and carcass traits in early weaned calves. Reports from Meyer et al. Why this discrepancy? The answer appears to be in how the calves were managed after weaning. In the table below, the report from Comerford et al.

As shown by these results, the nutritional regimen for calves prior to entry in a feedlot has a significant effect on the ability for marbling to be expressed, and this is true for early weaning as well as for normal weaning.

The report from Bruns et al. When calves are weaned earlier than 7 months, it will be important to maintain a consistent growth pattern comparable to remaining with the cow on pasture to allow marbling to be effectively expressed after feeding. Therefore, the nutritional program for the early weaned calf is important and cannot be discounted.

Early weaning calves will be an effective management tool for many breeders. This will allow more efficient use of feed resources, improve reproductive rate in young cows, and improve subsequent performance of the cow herd.

Lack of forage from drought, poor body condition in young cows, and lack of growth of calves while nursing cows are signs early weaning can be used effectively. However, subsequent production of the calf in the feedlot will be predicated on an effective nutritional program for that calf. Growth rate must be maintained to allow marbling accretion to occur at an effective rate.

An early weaning program can also allow access to calf marketing programs that require weaning and calves eating dry feed before marketing.