LIMOUSIN TODAY LimToday-August18-Web | Page 26

Management

Is Early Weaning Right for You ?

By Justin Waggoner , Kansas State extension beef systems specialist and AJ Tarpoff , Kansas State extension veterinarian
For much of cattle country , especially the Great Plains and Southwest , drought has become the norm . It ’ s the wet years that are the exception . And in an extended drought , early weaning can be a helpful production practice .
But while early weaning is a consideration , it takes a careful analysis to make sure it ’ s right for you . Here are some things to keep in mind .
Under normal production circumstances , calves are typically weaned at 180-220 days of age . However , under circumstances where forage supply is limited or cow body condition is lacking , weaning calves at 180 days of age or less may be one of the easiest ways to reduce cow nutrient requirements and improve cow body condition .
Many cattle producer ’ s express concerns over the thought of weaning 350-450 pound calves during the heat of the summer and believe that early-weaned calves will not perform well in a dry lot environment . In a recent study conducted at the K-State Agriculture Research Center-Hays , 243 spring-born calves were weaned at 113 ± 17 days of age and were limit-fed a common diet to achieve target average daily gains ( ADG ) of 1.0 , 2.0 , or 3.0 pounds per day during an 84-day receiving period .
The results of this study are summarized in Figure 1 .
Figure 1 . Targeted ADG , lb / day
1 2 3 Weaning wt , lb 342 342 346 Ending wt , lb 443 470 509 ADG , lb / d 1.21 1.52 1.94 DMI , Lb / d 5.93 7.67 9.52 Feed : Gain 4.82 5.03 4.88 Incidence of Fever , % 4.89 6.05 5.85
Although we were unable to achieve the target ADG of 3.0 pounds per day ( which is a rather lofty goal ), the calves in the 3.0 pounds per day treatment group gained 1.94 pounds per day , consumed 9.5 pounds of dry feed per day , exhibited a feed conversion of 4.88:1 ( feed : gain ) and weighed 509 pounds at the conclusion of study ( 197 days of age ). Additionally , over 5 % of the calves exhibited clinical signs of illness and were treated .
The results of this study demonstrate that earlyweaned calves are capable of utilizing dry feeds , and have a tremendous capacity to convert feed resources into gain in a dry lot environment .
One of the keys to successfully managing newlyweaned calves ( early or conventionally weaned ) and achieving acceptable levels of feeding performance (~ 2.0 lb / d ADG ) is getting calves to consume dry feed .
What about calf health ?
The most successful early wean programs begin with a healthy calf prior to weaning . Calf age plays a crucial role on when to early wean . Animal health procedures conducted prior to weaning will help ensure calf health through the transition of weaning .
In a recent nationwide survey of practicing veterinarians , the largest number of respondents ( 38 %) recommended the earliest age to wean calves is 90-120 days of age . Consulting with your local veterinarian to help establish a health protocol to help boost calf health while reducing stress will be extremely beneficial in an early wean situation .
Understanding the calf ’ s immune function during this time is also important . Calves are born with a fully functional immune system , but they have yet to mount a response to any pathogen . The intake of colostrum shortly after birth helps fill the gap and provide passive immunity of immune cells and antibodies that act as the natural immune function early in life .
Until 2 to 4 months of age , maternal antibodies are the key players in the calf ’ s immune protection . This plays a role in how the young calves will respond to immune challenges such as vaccines . When these maternal antibodies start to decrease , it is a prime time to initiate a vaccine protocol to help boost the active immune protection of the calf .
While every calf may not fully respond to vaccines at this age , vaccination primes the immune system for a booster later in
24 | AUGUST 2018