Successful Weaning is a Planned Event: Nutritionist Perspective

Weaning is likely one of the most stressful events in the life of a calf. It’s generally accepted that we can’t completely remove the stress associated with event. However, we often overlook that weaning is also our opportunity as cattle producers to prepare calves for the next phase of the beef production cycle. Weaning represents a transition and how well we prepare calves for this transition is the key to success. The goal of weaning is to produce a healthy calf that is comfortable without its dam, readily consumes feed and has successfully acclimated to new environment. The primary barriers to this goal are the stressors experienced by calves during weaning which are: 1) maternal separation 2) moving to a new environment and 3) becoming accustomed to unfamiliar feedstuffs. There are several different management practices (outlined below) that may be implemented to prepare calves for weaning and improve feed consumption following maternal separation.

Provide access to the weaning pen or pasture. When possible, providing cows and calves access to the weaning area for a few days/weeks prior to weaning allows calves to become accustomed to the weaning area with the dam. This reduces the additional stress of an environment change on calves following weaning. If possible, move the cows not the calves. Once both cows and calves have become accustomed to the weaning pen or pasture, remove the cows from the area, leaving the calves in an area they are familiar with.

 

Place feed bunks and water tanks along and perpendicular to fences. One of the typical behaviors associated with newly weaned calves is fence walking. Fence-walking can be made more productive by placing feed bunks or water tanks along the perimeter of the weaning area. This allows calves to come in contact with feedstuffs and water sources.

 

Help calves adjust to new feedstuffs. One of the essential transitions a calf has to make during weaning is the transition from mother’s milk and grazed forage to grazed forage and supplement, hay and supplement, or a ration containing novel feeds delivered in a bunk. Feeding both cows and calves a small amount of the supplement or weaning ration prior to weaning, in the weaning pen or pasture can be used help acclimate calves to both the feeds and the environment. Additionally, feed intake of weaned calves is often low (1.0 to 1.5 % of bodyweight, dry basis) immediately following weaning. Calves also have relatively high nutrient requirements. Thus, the weaning diet must be nutrient dense to meet the nutrient requirements of the calves at the expected intakes previously mentioned. Unfortunately, the dry feeds calves are often most familiar with (typically grass hays) are not necessarily nutrient dense. At the K-State Agriculture Research Center, Hays, KS a feeding management protocol for weaning calves has been developed that works well for transitioning weaned calves to a total mixed ration. The protocol is summarized in the table below. Essentially, high-quality grass hay and the weaning ration are offered each at 0.5% of the calves’ current bodyweight, dry basis, on the day of weaning. The weaning ration is placed in the bottom of the bunk and the hay is placed on top. The amount the weaning ration is steadily increased, while the amount of hay offered remains constant. In addition, on day 4 the hay is placed on the bottom of the bunk. Over a period of 7-10 days the dry intake of the calves is steadily increased and should reach approximately 2.2-2.5% of the calves’ bodyweight by 10-14 days following weaning.

 

 

Table 1. K-State ARC-Hays Feeding Management Protocol for Weaned Calves*

Day	Weaning Diet	Hay	Feedstuff Order
1	0.5% Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Diet bottom/hay on top
2	0.7% Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Diet bottom/hay on top
3	0.9% Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Diet bottom/hay on top
4	1.1% Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Hay bottom/diet on top
5	1.3% Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Hay bottom/diet on top
6	1.5%Bodyweight	0.5% Bodyweight	Hay bottom/diet on top
7	1.8% Bodyweight
8	---Increase diet by 0.25 to 0.50 lb per calf/day---

*Remove any uneaten feedstuffs before feeding current days ration