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Veal calf age11/26/2023 Spring calving cows need to be in adequate body condition (BCS 5) prior to calving. Effect on the Beef FemaleĮarly weaning the calf significantly reduces the nutrient demands placed on the cow and more closely matches her requirements to nutrients supplied under drought or poor range conditions. Using creep feeding in this manner will bunk break the calves and will teach them to eat. Offering a creep feed three to four weeks prior to weaning will help calves adjust to eating processed feeds and make the weaning transition period less stressful. Bunk and waterer height needs to accommodate the smaller calf. Regardless of weaning age, calves that start eating dry feed immediately after separation from their dam have fewer incidences of morbidity and mortality than calves that do not eat for 24 to 48 hours after separation. Calves can adapt quickly to the change in environment and diet if a management plan has been carefully developed. There are a number of items to consider prior to early weaning calves. Weaning calves at 3 to 5 months of age may also be a viable alternative if forages are scarce in the latter part of the grazing season. ![]() Weaning calves at 45 to 60 days of age may be a management strategy included in a drought plan. Weaning at 3 to 5 months of age is too late to cause early cycling therefore, it doesn't contribute to the improvement of reproduction. Weaning calves this early is used as a "last resort" management strategy when cows are thin prior to the start of the breeding season. Weaning beef calves as early as 45 days of age is early enough to encourage the cows to cycle and rebreed. Research suggests spring-born calves consume significant amounts of native range forage at 45 days of age. ![]() ![]() Rumen development proceeds rapidly once solid food consumption begins. The rumen of a newborn lacks the microbial population that enables adult cattle to process forage fiber via fermentative digestion. Early weaning can enhance the efficiency of drylot cow-calf operations by allowing greater use of poor quality roughages in diets for cows. In areas where forage quality is low and quantity is not adequate in summer and early fall, early weaning could be a management practice, especially for young cows raising their first calf. Early Weaning Beef Calves Sometimes Makes Sense
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