How to improve production by avoiding 3 common weaning mistakes

It is weaning time again out on the range. Weaning is the time of year when you, as a rancher, see the fruits of your labor. Labors, such as with your breeding programs. But that does beg the question about success.

What does success or failure mean when it comes to weaning? That is a tricky question to answer because different people have different answers to this. It is up to the individual and their production goals to determine what is a successful weaning.

There may be different ideas on how to wean your calves, but the goal is still the same. You want to wean every calf you have with the minimum loss to your crop. It would be best to get your calves started off on the right foot to accomplish this.

Starting your calves off right is one of the most important things that you can do. Doing so will ensure that calf’s lifelong production success. The first 30-45 days after weaning are the most stressful in that calf’s life. In order to make it as smooth as possible with their transition, you will need to avoid three common problems.

No weaning plan in place

When it comes to weaning, many people still need to have a plan in place. They pick a day with the best weather and just “wing it.” This strategy is similar to trying to hit a bullseye in the dark. You might get lucky and hit the target, but your odds do not look so good. But as productive cattle producers, we are not looking for “some of the time.” What we are looking for is a consistent and predictable outcome.

Ask anyone who has worked cattle for any length of time, and they will tell you that things only go smoothly sometimes. There is always a problem that will come up. It can be not having enough feed to not having the right amount of vaccines available.

Develop a flexible plan at least one month in advance of weaning time. Planning one month in advance will give you time to order any feed or medications that you will need. This extra time will also allow you to inspect your facilities and do any repairs. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a calf break through a fence or gate and hurt itself.

The goal here is to have it planned out so you can get your calves into the next production stage in the least stressful way possible. Speaking of taking care of your facilities…

Weaning facilities still need to be prepared.

The facilities you will use should be able to keep a calf from getting back to its mother and or keeping that cow from getting back to its calf, for that matter.

The calf is already going through a stressful enough time being taken from an environment that it is used to and being thrown into something completely different. You need to give calves a stress-free space with plenty of room and grass for them to roam. Since they have spent the first part of their life out in the pasture, it is giving them somewhat familiar surroundings.

Many producers put the feed bunks where it is easier for them to fill them rather than where it would be better for the calf to find it quickly. The general rule of thumb here is that you will want to place the bunks perpendicular to the outside fence of the calf pen. Setting the bunk like that is so that when the calf is pacing around, it will run into the feeder, thus increasing the chances of them beginning to eat and put weight on.

The placement of the water trough in the pen is also crucial. Like the feed bunk, you will want to place them on the outside perimeter of the enclosure. Placing them like that will be so they will run into them also. One tip is that if your cattle get their water from a trough, then you may want to use the same type of trough in your weaning pen. Using the same kind of trough will help because it is something the calf is familiar with and knows they can get water from it.

Calf’s nutrition needs still need to be met.

The calf is having a stressful enough time, being taken away from its mother. Not to mention an unfamiliar environment to one without the security of its momma. It is never a good idea to start them off with a feed they are unfamiliar with.

The first problem with this is that they are less likely to eat it. This is simply because they know very little about the new feed. Introducing a new feed right off the bat can also cause different kinds of digestive problems as well. According to a study done by the Iowa Beef Center, it takes 1-2 weeks for the microbes in the rumen to adjust to new feeds.

Think about creep feeding.

When they are just arriving at the pen, provide them with something that they are familiar with. This familiar thing can be something such as creep feed. Using creep feed will work, of course, only if you provide some creep feed to them while they are still with the herd. If you are interested in learning more about creep feeding, I talk about them in a few previous articles, such as “Pros and Cons of Creep Feeding.”

Not providing creep feed does not mean your calves can’t succeed. You can start with like a 90/10 mixture of, say, forage and grain or whatever they are familiar with. Another thing to look at is to include in this mixture any supplements that you want your calves to start eating eventually. After you begin feeding the original mix every few days, you can decrease the original feed and increase the other. You will continue doing this in small steps until they eventually eat what you want.

If you are interested in learning more, I do cover this in other articles, such as “The unconventional guide to Weaning.”