Stocker operators and backgrounders want their calves to get the best nutritional start possible. They often receive loads of calves. Sometimes those calves are from multiple locations, often transported hundreds of miles. Maybe they come from a livestock auction market, fresh weaned from their mamas. Early stress, such as weaning or hauling, can take a […]
Category: Weaning
When to Wean Cattle
Weaning is an essential process in cattle management for both the cow and the calf. It teaches the calf to be independent and allows it to go out on its own, often like sending our kids off to college. For the cow, weaning allows the reallocation of nutrients away from a nursing calf, giving the […]
How to Make Weaning Calves Stress-Free
Weaning Calves Weaning calves is perhaps one of the most stressful times in a cow-calf operation. The bawling calves are stressed, their mama cows are confused, and the producer is trying to make sure everyone stays where they need to be. However, with proper preparation, good management practices, and a solid plan, you can lessen […]
Get Weaned Calves Straightened Out Quicker
Sometimes the biggest challenges to livestock production are out of our control, but as producers we still look for ways to work around those obstacles. That is the case for one cattle operation in Northeast Louisiana where heat and humidity are at a peak as they approach weaning time. “The humidity down here is the […]
How to Make Early Weaning Work in your Operation
By Jack Oattes, M.S., BioZyme Inc. The concept of early weaning in beef cattle has long been considered a management strategy that can potentially benefit cattle producers and their cow herds, although there are several considerations to make when deciding whether or not to implement this strategy. The goal of this article is to discuss some of the relevant historical […]
Take the Stress Out of Weaning
A high-quality, healthy calf crop doesn’t just happen. It takes well-planned matings, caring for gestating and lactating cows with proper nutrition and management, and a low-stressed, healthy weaned group of calves. Producers know that perhaps the most challenging aspect of that equation is reducing the stress during weaning time, but one progressive seedstock operation in Central Illinois has found a […]
A Three-Step Approach to Successful Weaning
If you are a cattle producer who has raised kids, there are a lot of similarities, especially when it comes to challenges. Think about weaning time and compare it to the first few days of sending your littles to pre-school. Who sheds more tears? At weaning, it could be a toss-up as bawling calves missing […]
How to Get Weaned Calves a Healthy Start
Freshly weaned calves are a lot like small children starting their first day of preschool. They’re learning a new routine in a different environment and eating from a new menu all while being without their mamas for the first time. That equals a lot of stress, which can lead to sickness, going off feed and […]
How to Reduce Weaning-Time Woes
Weaning time in the cattle business is ultimately the most stressful time in the calf’s life. However, with proper preparation, good management practices and a solid plan, you can decrease the stress incurred on your calves and yourself at weaning time. When preparing for weaning and making a management plan, there are several conditions to […]
Summer Gains are Possible
Summertime. For cattle producers the season means turning cows out to green grass, having cows bred, and backgrounding weaned calves. However, expecting young calves to gain in extreme conditions can sometimes be a challenge. That’s why providing them with the best nutrition possible is imperative during this most stressful time of their lives. “During that […]
