Early Weaning Beef Calves

Many producers are busy making plans to extend the grazing period on their forage stands due to the impact of the drought this summer. Most of the province did receive some moisture over the last month which has resulted in some relief for the forage stands. There are a number of alternatives to consider when dealing with drought reduced forage stands.

The first option is to consider rotational grazing which allows the forage plants time to recover after grazing. Periodic rest helps plants maintain vigor and allows for more rapid regrowth. Electric fencing is an excellent temporary solution to enable producers to rotate forage stands. Electric fencing is very cost effective and can be moved to enable producers to utilize alternate forages, including stubble.

The second option is to use a creep ration while on range. When forage is limited, the use of a high energy creep diet can be used to offset forage consumption by the suckling calf. The goal of a creep ration is for calves to consume about 3% of their body weight per day to reduce demands on the cow and forage. Offering a creep feed three to four weeks prior to weaning will help the calves adjust to eating processed feeds and make the weaning transition period less stressful.

The third option is to wean the calves early and place them on feed. Lactation represents the greatest nutrient demand for cows during a year-long production cycle. Early weaned calves can achieve adequate rates of growth if given access to a high quality ration. By the time calves are 3 to 4 months of age, they are consuming significant amounts of forage. At 6 to 7 months of age, calves will consume approximately half the amount of forage as a mature cow. Following weaning, dry cows will consume less forage than lactating cows, thus reducing demand placed on the pasture. Early weaned calves should consume 2.75 to 3.25% of their body weight in dry feed daily. With proper feeding management, weaned calves will perform similar to unweaned calves, and in some cases exceed performance on the cow. If early weaning is a consideration, plan on a feeding period of at least 45 days prior to market to compensate for the weight loss and stress that occurs at weaning. The other option you may wish to consider is selling calves early into the market when volumes are lighter and returns are seasonally higher.

Early weaning is a management tool that allows a producer the opportunity to balance their forage requirements of their operation while reducing supplemental feed costs and the need to sell down cows. It is important to consider all of your options to see what works the best for your operation. Stop by your local UFA for all of your weaning requirements and save under the Bringing Them Home promotion. If you would like to discuss alternatives for your operation, please send me a note.

Brian Palichuk P.Ag.
Livestock Production Specialist, UFA