Early wean calves to cut back cow herd nutrient must match drought-limited feed sources, says Patrick Davis, College of Missouri Extension livestock subject specialist. As well as, early weaning can enhance calf efficiency as a result of calves are placed on a extra nutritious food regimen following weaning.
Davis discusses methods to assist cattle producers achieve success in early weaning calves:
“Age is a consideration when early weaning calves,” says Davis. Calves have been weaned as early as 60 days, however that is normally not sensible in most beef cattle operations. Davis suggests it’s extra sensible to early wean calves at roughly 120 days of age, which is correct now for many spring-calving cows.
“Getting calves to devour their feed ration as fast as attainable as soon as they’re weaned is essential to a profitable early weaning program,” he says. One technique to support in that is creep feeding the calves three to 4 weeks earlier than weaning to get them tailored to a food regimen much like their weaning food regimen.
As well as, top-dressing the preliminary calf weaning food regimen with good high quality hay for the primary three to 5 days could assist the calves enhance food regimen consumption extra rapidly after weaning. As soon as calves are correctly consuming the weaning food regimen, day by day consumption must be from 2.75% to three.25% of their physique weight.
“Early weaning calves requires extra consideration to element in terms of creating a feeding program,” says Davis. Diets must be palatable, freed from mud and formulated to satisfy all of the calf’s nutrient wants.
Including water or liquid dietary supplements equivalent to molasses to the food regimen will assist with mud management, scale back sorting and, within the case of the latter, enhance palatability. Be certain calves have free selection entry to a mineral, hint mineral and vitamin complement formulated to satisfy their wants. Davis suggests visiting together with your native MU Extension livestock specialist to assist develop a correct feeding program on your early weaned calves.
“Correct animal administration and weaning space setup aids in a profitable early weaning program,” he says. Type calves and allocate them to the weaning areas primarily based on measurement to chop down on competitors throughout feeding. Since newly weaned calves prefer to stroll the fence line, Davis urges placing the water and feed there to help in these calves’ consumption of this stuff. Be certain water is chilly and clear. Water gear must be cleaned frequently. Davis means that calf weaning areas be small and have correct shelter and mud management.
“A correct cattle operation well being program is vital to chop down on morbidity and mortality of early weaned calves,” says Davis. He urges session together with your native large-animal veterinarian and creating a correct well being program on your cattle operation earlier than early weaning calves. Some issues that must be thought of in this system:
- Course of calves, which incorporates tagging, branding and castration not less than 14 days previous to weaning.
- Present correct inside and exterior parasite management, together with fly management.
- Present correct vaccinations previous to weaning.
- Monitor calves day by day for signs of respiratory illness, digestive disturbances, scours, coccidiosis and discount of dietary consumption; work together with your veterinary to deal with these signs.
“One profit that early weaning does to a cattle operation is enhance forage availability to cows,” says Davis. Because the rains come, the forage will start to regrow. Davis urges early weaning calves to enhance forage sources for the cow herd as we transfer into fall and winter.
