Care and Management of Calves at Weaning W. D. Frischknecht. Extension Animal Scientist, Oregon State University J, D. Mankin, Extension Animal… [619478]

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Care and Management of Calves at Weaning
W. D. Frischknecht. Extension Animal Scientist, Oregon State University
J, D. Mankin, Extension Animal Scientist, University of Idaho
The main objective of a weaning program is to
get the calves separated from their mothers and on
their own as simply and efficiently as possible. The
first requirement is for tight fences to control both
cows and calves. Calves are usually weaned at about
7 months of age.
Some successful operators will, before weaning,
put the cows and calves in a pasture that will be
home for the calves after weaning. At weaning,
then, they separate the cows and move them to a
different location. This leaves the calves in familiar
surroundings where they are accustomed to water-
ing facilities and supplemental feeding, if any. This
system works well, but will not be possible for all
producers.
The other option is to remove the calves and put
them on pasture or drylot separate from their moth-
ers. Again, tight fences are essential. The weaning
process is also easier if calves have been fed some
supplemental feed before weaning. Some very suc-
cessful operators feed hay on the ground or in feed
mangers to cows and calves for several days before
weaning to get the calves accustomed to eating hay.
Adequate water is also essential for the calves. If
they have not been accustomed to drinking from a
trough before weaning, it is a good idea to let them
hear running water splashing into a trough in the
new lot.
Stress at Weaning
Weaning is a time of stress for both cows and
calves. When they are separated, the cows will con-
tinue bellowing for about 3 days. After that they will
settle down and get accustomed to the separation.
Stress on the calves will be greatly reduced if they are
eating solid feed and drinking the necessary water. To help minimize weaning stress on the calves,
most of the common health programs should be
done at times either before or after weaning. For
example, most producers brand their calves before
moving them out on range. That is also a good time
to dehorn, if necessary, and castrate the bull calves.
Usually, calves are also given blackleg and other
routine calfhood vaccinations at the same time.
Brucellosis vaccination for heifers is routinely
done at less than 8 months of age, so this vaccination
also fits in well with a preweaning health program.
Parasite control applications can be scheduled at
times other than weaning. Worming calves for in-
ternal parasites and treating to control lice and
grubs are good management practices that can be
done any time after weaning and before winter
sets in.
If these practices have been followed, then the
calves at weaning need to be given only the recom-
mended booster shots.
Other Considerations
In herds on an individual performance testing
program, calves should be individually weighed at
weaning. While they are in the chute, check tattoos
to make sure they are legible and insert ear tags if
needed. Many calves are individually identified at
birth, but the identification may need reinforcing
at weaning.
For producers who sell weaner calves, weaning
time is also a good opportunity to use the USDA
Bright Orange Ear Tag that lets you participate in
that carcass evaluation program. Carcass informa-
tion is returned on the orange-tagged animals, if
they are slaughtered at a plant served by a USDA
meat grader. Some producers are getting a high per-
centage of carcass information returns.
Oregon State University Extension Service January 1981 EC 1073

If calves will be sold and shipped soon after wean-
ing, this is the time to start preparing them for ship-
ment. Give them the prescribed health treatments
and get them started on feed. Then feed the calves
before shipping. Most trials indicate that calves with
considerable energy in their digestive system are
able to withstand shipping better than calves that
are in a poor state of nutrition. The advice of most
cattlemen is to feed before shipping.
It is also good management to reduce time in tran-
sit if possible. Long hauls with no feed and water are
critical for calves. If calves have to be loaded and
unloaded, they should be handled as easily and as
quietly as possible. Too much excitement, too much
dust and too many bruises contribute to a lot of
calf health problems.
After weaning it is helpful if calves can be kept
in fairly small groups of about 50 to 60 head or less
per lot. Exceedingly large weaning lots may cause
calves to walk the fence rather than settle down.
Placing bales of hay or mangers along the fence lines
at strategic locations will stop the fence walking.
If some calves become sick in the weaning pro-
cess, they should be isolated from the larger group,
and placed in a pen where they can be given proper
care and medication. Clean corrals and pens will
help promote proper sanitation.
Early Weaning
Several trials indicate early weaning can be a
sound practice when feed supplies are short. Early
weaning is considered to be any time earlier than
the normal weaning age of about 7 months, al-
though some ranchers regularly wean calves from
first-calf heifers at about 5 months of age. In an
average year on most western ranges, calf gains
during May and June are about 2 pounds a day;
during July, about 1.5 pounds, and during August,
about I pound per day. After September 1, calf
gains are slow on most ranges. During late summer
and autumn many ranges become extremely short
of both feed and water, so early weaning should be
considered.
Under these conditions, early weaning has some
advantages. The cows gain weight when not nursing
calves, so they go into winter in better shape. Dry,
non-lactating cows need less water than those nur-
sing calves, so dry cows range farther away from
water. Dry cows can go to water every other day and
still thrive, but cows nursing calves need water every
day because of the milk requirements. In areas
where feed and stock water shortages create a prob-
lem, cows could be left on the range and calves could
be weaned and fed in drylot — a corral or feedlot —
or placed on irrigated pasture if available. Work at Oregon State University's Eastern Ore-
gon Agricultural Research Center at Union com-
pared post-weaning gains of calves weaned Septem-
ber 17 and others weaned at the ordinary time of
October 15. The early-weaned calves were placed on
good pasture and gained 1.1 pounds a day from
September 17 to October 15. Those on range with
their mothers gained less than .5 pound. After Octo-
ber 15, gains averaged 1.2 pounds a day for all
calves, so weaning stress was minimal for both
groups. The early-weaned calves gained 21 pounds
more per head during the fall grazing period from
September 17 to November 18.
In this trial, the early-weaned calves were nearly
6 months of age at weaning time and average weight
was 440 pounds. They were previously weighed
August 20, when about 5 months of age, and aver-
age weight was 373 pounds. At this weight and age
they could have been weaned and put on good pas-
ture had range feed been short. The fact that they
gained more than 2 pounds a day while nursing
shows that early weaning is not a good answer when
feed is plentiful and cows are milking well.
By the time calves are 120 days of age the rumen
is working sufficiently so that calves can be weaned
and make satisfactory gains without the benefit of
milk. By this age calves on pasture probably are
obtaining more than one-half of their nutrition from
the natural forage.
A weaned calf normally consumes about 3% of its
body weight as feed each day. By the time the calf
weighs 300 pounds it will eat about 8 to 9 pounds
Table 1. Suggested rations for 450-pound weaner calf
gaining 0.7 pound per day.
Ration combinations (alternatives) Pounds
Alfalfa 10
Oats or beet pulp 2
Native meadow grass, bluegrass, oat or barley hays 8
Oats or beet pulp 3
Cottonseed meal, soybean oil meal or 36%
protein supplement (liquid or dry) 1
Wheat hay 5
Oats or beet pulp 5
Cottonseed meal, soybean oil meal or 36%
protein supplement (liquid or dry) 1
Native meadow grass, bluegrass, oat or barley hays 5
Corn silage or grass silage (28% dry matter). 10
Note: silages should be limited in rations
for calves.
Cottonseed meal, soybean oil meal or 36%
protein supplement (liquid or dry) 1

per day of a ration that is 50% high quality roughage
and 50% grain. The amount of roughage can be
varied from 35 to 65% depending on availability
of feeds.
A ration that has given excellent results with
weaned calves is 2 pounds barley, 1 pound cotton-
seed meal plus free-choice grass hay, which will
range from 8 to 12 pounds depending on the size of
the calf. Table 1 lists 4 possible ration combinations
for weaner calves.
Calves have been weaned successfully at less than
2 months of age, but that is younger than is practical
or necessary under most conditions. A Kansas dry-
lot study for 107 days compared gains of calves
weaned at 50 days of age, calves creep-fed in drylot
while still nursing and nursing calves in a drylot but
not creep-fed. Early-weaned calves gained an aver-
age of 278 pounds, creep-fed nursing calves gained
an average of 264 pounds and non-creep-fed nursing
calves gained an average of 116 pounds. This study
was in drylot, but it does point out that the com-
bined energy efficiency of cow and calf was best for
the early-weaned group. Early-weaned calves and
their mothers consumed 17.2 pounds of total digest-
ible nutrients (TDN) per day for a feed requirement
of 6.8 pounds TDN per pound of calf produced. The
creep-fed group consumed 17.6 pounds TDN daily,
for a feed requirement of 7.3 pounds TDN per
pound of calf produced. The non-creep group con-
sumed 15 pounds TDN daily, for a feed requirement
of 14.3 pounds TDN per pound of calf produced.
The rations are shown in Table 2. Table 2. Rations for early-weaned calves in Kansas study.
Starter Standard
Ingredient ration ration
Pounds Pounds
Roiled oats 436 1,300
Rolled corn 742 366
Dehydrated alfalfa 92
Calf Manna1 305
Wet molasses 65 61
Dicalcium phosphate 11
Limestone 11 .
Soybean oil meal 436 84
Dry molasses 51
Pre-mix2 22
Salt 22 10
Aurea-10 15 14
'Calf Manna milk replacer is made by Albers Milling Co.
2Pre-mix, pounds per 1,000 pounds: soybean oil meal, 444;
ground oats, 443; vitamin A, 33; Aureomycin-10,30; trace miner-
al, 50.
The starter ration was used only for calves weaned
at 50 days of age. At 100 days of age these calves
were gradually taken off the starter ration and put
on the standard ration used for the creep-fed calves.
Calves weaned at 31/4 to 4 months of age do not
require a milk replacer, but they need a palatable
and nutritious ration. Calves should not be weaned
under 5 months of age unless there is a real emer-
gency.
OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY Extension Service, Oregon State University, Corvallls, Henry A. Wadsworth, director. Produced and
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