Low Stress Weaning Options

Low Stress Weaning Options

Weaning is a stressful time for calves. This stress can contribute to reduced feed consumption and also can depress the immune system, leading to greater risk for sickness and death.Washington State University Northwest Regional Dairy and Livestock Specialist Dr. Susan Kerr shares some tips to reduce stress on calves during weaning.
Kerr: “Try to separate management tasks — in other words — don’t wean, castrate, brand and vaccinate all at the same time. That is a lot of different stresses for calves. It is extra work — it is easy to say and hard to do but if you can separate those management tasks that’s best for calves. Also if people can be flexible if the weather is bad try to delay weaning until there is good weather.”
Two step approach to weaning can work well for smaller herds. The first step is use a small flexible plastic nose paddle that hooks in calves’ nose for three to five days which the prevents the calf from nursing but remains with cow. Kerr continues with the second step
Kerr: “The best practices is to have the cow-calf pairs in area with plenty of good feed where the calves are going to stay — where the calves are use to that feed and the feeders and the waterers. On the social weaning day, the cows are moved out to an adjacent site, where the calves can see, and hear and smell them but there is an electric fence between the two groups. The calves and cows can now stand near each other at the fence line if they want to but they soon wander off to eat and it is not stressful at all because they can be near each other.”
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