roducers need to plan way ahead of the time period when they will start weaning, while also paying attention to their calves throughout the production system,” said Max Irsik, Extension veterinarian at the University of Florida. Watching indicators like the cow condition, range quality and general calf health can help producers decide on the best time to wean.
“At birth it is important that calves have a good mother. The cows need to be healthy, maternal, in good body condition, provide high quality colostrum and then adequate milk during the suckling period,” he said.
“Prior to separation, calves should be immunized a minimum of one time, preferably two for the clostridial and respiratory diseases, de-horned, de-wormed, castrated and individually identified,” Irsik said. Producers should also get them used to different sights and sounds.
“Being out with the cows, looking at the calves, getting the cows and calves used to being around people, traffic and folks on horseback – all of those things can have an effect later on, helping to reduce stress for both the cow and calf,” he said.
Once cattlemen have established a target date or time, they need to put a “game plan” in place, said Jeff Heldt, nutritionist for Land O’ Lakes Purina Feed.
“That includes the people – who is going to do what – and the facilities,” he said. Knowing who is going to feed, walk pens and track data is a key.
“Then they need to start thinking about what nutritional package they need to put together,” Heldt said.
Ahead of time, that program should include highly available trace minerals and vitamins, he said. “That gets the immune system primed before the stressful event.”
Getting calves used to eating out of a bunk will increase success, too.
“Depending upon the production system at the ranch, it is helpful to expose calves prior to weaning to automatic watering systems, eating out of a bunk and having access to a highly palatable ration,” Irsik said.
Some producers put out a silage mixture; others offer good-quality, free-choice hay to get them accustomed to a new feed source. Heldt said that probably depends on what the weaning ration will be and the ranch resources.
“It’s got to be highly palatable to drive intake,” he said, “and pretty nutrient dense, because those intakes the first week or 10 days could be very, very low. There also needs to be a balance between highly fermentable energy and roughage, to avoid any digestive upsets or acidosis instances.”
Straight alfalfa, for example, could cause bloat, but mixing that with grass hay might curb the problem.
Heldt said they look for calves to eventually eat 3 percent to 3.5 percent of their body weight. Many companies sell complete pelleted feeds if roughage is available or texturized feed with roughage built in, to help get calves started and up to that intake target.
