48 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | September 2024 Livestock MINIMIZE STRESS FOR SMOOTH WEANING ‘We are giving them a backpack full of supplies to prepare them as best we can.’ By Emily McKinlay Each year cow-calf producers wean their calves to give the cow a chance to rest and recover. The weaned calves may then be retained for replacements to backgrounders or feedlot producers. Each farm is unique, and weaning management should reflect the needs and destination of the calves. Dr. Joe Stookey, professor emeritus in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, says that there are many approaches to weaning. “There’s everything ranging from weaning right onto a truck and just separating them cold turkey to more manipulative weaning practices like nose tags,” says Stookey. “For fence line weaning, I’ve seen pasture weaning with electric fence and the farmers let calves sort themselves into the new pasture or others where the cows are on the perimeter and calves are kept in a feedlot pen where they can see each other.” While many cow-calf producers wean in the fall on grass, some producers may also choose to shift the timing of their weaning to better reflect their farm practices. Dr. Peter Kotzeff is a veterinarian who also runs his own 150-head cow-calf herd and has been involved in backgrounding and feedlot production. Through his experience as a vet and farmer, and by observing other producers, he has developed two weaning strategies for his own herd. His first method is delayed weaning as late as six weeks prior to calving. He observes cow body condition and compares subsequent pregnancy rates, newborn calf vigour, and 30-day survival rates, which he has found no challenges with thus far. “Over the past few years, when I don’t plan on sending my calves to a third party, I’ll leave my calves on the cows until around six weeks before calving so the calves aren’t nursing colostrum,” says Kotzeff. “Then they only need feed for about a month before they go to grass. They get grass all summer and then they sell in the fall at about 18 months.” What are some other strategies for smoother weaning, and how can farmers minimize stress during the process? Minimizing stress Any change to the known environment creates stress for This pre-weaning station allows calves to get used to feed while being away from their moms. Peter Kotzeff photo
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