Growing Beef Newsletter
August 2024, Volume 15, Issue 2
Preparing for weaning to optimize health and performance
Chris Clark, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist
August is here, and although it’s hard to believe, summer will soon be winding down and it will be time to think about weaning spring-born calves. Weaning involves many potential stressors that can negatively affect beef calves: separation from dam, new environment, diet change, and new social dynamics, just to name a few. Preparation to minimize those stressors will give your calves greater opportunities to thrive, perform, and reach their genetic potential.
Please consider this list of recommendations to prepare cattle, facilities, and yourself for fall weaning.
Cattle
Perform castration and dehorning procedures as early as possible with appropriate anesthesia and analgesia to minimize pain and distress. Hopefully castration and dehorning procedures are done by now. Castration and dehorning surgeries should generally be performed within the first 2-3 months of life. Dehorning should be done through genetic selection or through disbudding calves before the horns become well-established. If these procedures have not yet been done, talk to your veterinarian about best timing and technique. Open wounds can be a problem in the summer because of fly pressure so it is worth some thought and discussion about how to best proceed at this time of year.
Vaccinate to establish immunity prior to the stress of weaning. Stress associated with weaning can cause immunosuppression, making animals more susceptible to respiratory disease and other infections. Pre-weaning vaccines help to ensure that protective antibodies are on board at weaning, which can help to prevent and reduce severity of disease. Work closely with your veterinarian to determine the products and vaccine schedules that make the most sense for your operation.
Adapt cattle to feed like what will be fed after weaning. Creep feeding consistently increases weaning weight but may or may not be profitable depending on the cost versus value of gain. Even when not obviously profitable, creep feeding or some kind of supplementation can help calves adapt to new feeds and feeding systems. This should support a smoother transition throughout weaning.
Facilities
Inspect lots/pens to ensure fences and gates are strong and that shelter and shade is adequate. Inspect water source and system to ensure you can offer plenty of fresh, clean water. Check feed bunks to make sure they are clean and in good condition.
Make sure facilities are in good condition and free of sharp edges and projections that may cause injuries. Inventory your feed supply to ensure you have feedstuffs to provide a well-balanced ration throughout the weaning and backgrounding phase. Confirm that you have adequate bedding and are set up to provide windbreaks, fly control, dust control, etc., as appropriate.
Consider location of feed and water and try to make locations easy to find for cattle that may be somewhat stressed or distracted. For example, it can sometimes be helpful to have water and/or feed near and perpendicular to a fence that cattle may be apt to walk. With this orientation, pacing cattle will naturally find water and feed as they walk the fence.
Operators
Plan ahead to determine your marketing plan and make sure it is consistent with available head space, feedstuffs, and other resources. Think carefully about risk management strategies and insurance to make sure you are covered in case of unexpected events and downturns in the market.
Review low-stress handling and acclimation strategies to help transition cattle effectively to their new environment. Consider low-stress weaning strategies such as two-step weaning, fence-line weaning, pasture weaning, etc., and think ahead about what might work for you. Do your facilities and other resources allow you to implement these techniques?
Create a plan for performing and keeping records of daily care and develop a record-keeping system for treatment and feed records. Plan to check cattle daily throughout the weaning phase to look for signs of illness and develop a working relationship with a veterinarian and a treatment plan in case of illness. Review recommended biosecurity protocols and implement as appropriate to protect the health of your calf crop.
Some basic forethought and preparation can go a long way to help ensure a smooth transition that will allow your cattle to thrive and perform into the next phases of production.
Note: an earlier version of this article was included in the ISU Small Farm Sustainability newsletter.
This monthly newsletter is free and provides timely information on topics that matter most to Iowa beef producers. You’re welcome to use information and articles from the newsletter - simply credit Iowa Beef Center.
Archived issues
