Good weaning management eases performance setbacks
US - Because it’s stressful to calves, weaning is sure to set performance back to some degree. Whether that setback is short- or long-term depends on how well weaning is managed, said Ken Olson, South Dakota State University Extension beef specialist based in Rapid City, S.D.In the worst cases, weaning troubles can cause permanent impairment of performance, he said.
All the changes that calves must adapt to at weaning - especially “leaving mom” - combine to make it a stressful event, Olson said.
“There’s more than one thing going on, but the whole social aspect of it is important. They’ve been dependent upon their moms and all of the sudden we take that away,” he said.
Another aspect is the change in environment. In the pasture with cows, calves grazed and suckled milk.
“All of the sudden we put them in a pen with harvested feed in a feed bunk that doesn’t look like food compared to what they’ve seen so far in their life. They’ve got to learn to eat that kind of feedstuffs under those conditions. So life is turned completely upside down,” Olson said.
Source: .livestockroundup.net