Weaning time is once again upon us. It is a magical time when everything runs smoothly. Also, absolutely nothing wrong ever….. sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to finish that sentence. The problem with that last line is that anyone in the cattle business will tell you it’s the opposite. It can be a very stressful time for both the cattle and the rancher.
Stress in cattle can be displayed by increased vocalization and reduced feed intake. The most well-known are calves just pacing up and down the fence line. The issue with stress is that it can lower the immune system’s ability to fight off diseases. It may not seem like much, but it can reduce daily gains, increase health problems, and even cause death.
No matter what type of weaning strategy you use, there are ways to maintain your calves’ performance. Maintaining performance can also reduce the chance of illness. Preparing calves in advance of taking them away from their mommas has benefits that are well worth the effort. Here are three steps that you can use to help your calf crop wean successfully.
Develop a vaccination program.
Working alongside your veterinarian, you can determine what will be the best health program for your ranch. The immune system can be hindered during times of high stress, like weaning, so it is a good idea to have a health plan in place. Many veterinarians suggest that you should doctor as well as castrate, dehorn, and brand sometime before weaning.
The reason for this is that it will reduce the amount of stress that your calves will be going through. By reducing stress, their immune system can respond better to the vaccines you give them.
It is also important to remember to keep the proper handling of your vaccines in mind. The best vaccines and antibiotics will not do you any good if they are not handled and administered correctly. If you are looking for ways to keep your vaccines effective, I talk about that in a previous article, “7 ways to keep vaccines effective”.
Introduce the proper diet early.
It would be best if you introduced your calves to their post-weaning diet before it comes time to wean them. Doing this gives them a chance to “get used to it” while they are in familiar surroundings. Doing this will mean that they will recognize what is in the bunk as food earlier. Recognizing feed earlier will reduce any potential weight loss that could occur.
When you start providing their future diet, the first thing to remember is that it is appropriate for their age range. You do not want them to be fed a diet that is heavy in grains and concentrates if they are only used for forage. Introducing the heavier stuff too early can cause digestion issues that you want to avoid dealing with.
If you are providing forages, why would you not make sure that it is the correct quantity? Using forages that are of high quality is also essential, but that goes without saying. One trick you can do is place the bale along the fence. Much like with the feed bunk placing the bale along the fence will ensure that the calf will run into it. This location will entice them to take some bites out of it as they are pacing the fence line.
Importance of water
Though it goes without saying, I will anyways, your calves should also have access to clean, fresh water. Not only are they going through a stressful time, but this is also the warmest time of the year, so having water available for them is an absolute must here. Like with the bale, you should have it placed perpendicular along the outside fence of their pen.
Another tip for you here is that the water trough you will be using should look similar to the one in the pasture. Like most animals, cows are very visual animals, so seeing something they recognize easily can be a godsend. By using something they are familiar with, they will automatically know that it is where they can get something to drink. Recognizing it will reduce any questioning on their part, and they will go to it. If you cannot have the same trough, then you can set it to where it will overflow a little to have a trickling sound.
Weaning before you move them
Since most of the stress that occurs during this time is their separation from their momma, there is a way you can reduce that. You should wean them before you move them to a whole new place. After you have done this, you can move the cows to a different location if you so choose.
Moving the calves in order to wean comes with the possibility of causing problems, shocker, I know. Not only will they have to deal with the stress of being separated from their mom, but they also will have to find a new food source. This stress is where the possibility of reduced daily gains can occur.
Now the key to remember is that our strategy with weaning is to break the dam-young bond. Breaking this bond would typically be done by separating the cows and calves as far away as possible. But what would you say if I told you that there was a different way to do it?
A study back in 2003 done by Penn State showed that the period of adaption could be influenced by leaving cows within the hearing range of their calves. They found that calves left within hearing distance reduced these bonds with fewer signs of distress by three days after weaning. The ones that producers kept entirely out of hearing range took an average of 6 days to show any reduction of distress.
In conclusion
You can help your calves start strong after weaning by being aware of the stresses they will face while weaning. By knowing this, you can make plans in advance to better handle it. Developing methods and precautions in your place will go a long way to reducing the stresses that generally occur.
The quicker your calves adjust to their new routine, the faster they grow. And also the healthier they will be as well.
