Choose a Weaning Method to Decrease Stress on Calves

By Adam Hartfiel

It’s no secret that weaning is arguably the most stressful time in a beef calves’ life. Calves build strong maternal bonds with their mothers over the 6+ months they are tagging along until they are weaned. Weaning can be done a variety of ways, but the ultimate goal is to minimize stress to set them up for success in their next stage in life.

Decrease the Stress Before Weaning by Providing Opportunities:

Decreasing separation stress should start in the pasture.  When calves are weaned from their mother, it helps if they know how to eat out of a bunk or feeder. Calves start to find some food for themselves a few weeks after birth. Research has suggested by 3 months of age; calves are likely eating 1.1-1.5% of their body weight in forage in addition to nursing the cow. Cows can only provide around half the daily nutrients the calf requires at around 3 to 4 months of age (depending on pasture quality/quantity), the remainder is obtained through what the calf naturally learns to eat, in most cases pasture, as it gets older.

Learning to eat from a bunk prior to weaning can be accomplished a few different ways.  Short duration, (about 3 weeks) creep feeding right before weaning can help calves learn to eat from a bunk. To minimize digestive upsets and ensure a smoother transition at weaning, consider a diet that’s palatable, higher in digestible fiber, and most similar to the diet calves will receive post-weaning. It can be as simple as corral panels, with a creep gate and a bunk with daily feeding to help manage intake and increase calves’ familiarity with people. Another option is to let the cows teach them by providing some feed in bunks for a short time prior to weaning.  Plenty of bunk space, so all cattle can get to the bunk is needed for this to work successfully. Plan ahead to avoid administering other stressful management practices (i.e. castration, dehorning, and vaccination) far enough away from weaning to avoid compounding stress.