Low on Forage? Early Weaning is a Good Option.
Here’s something to think about this winter as you’re planning for next year’s weaning. Who knew that early weaned steers gain better?! That’s just one of the things ARS scientists found when they looked at early weaning as an alternative when forage is limited.
This article comes to us from the August 2103 issue of Agricultural Research, a publication of the
- Published: 4 years ago on September 18, 2017
- By: Kathy Voth
- Last Modified: September 11, 2017 @ 1:02 pm
- Filed Under: ARS, The Classic by NatGLC
Effects of Calf Age at Weaning on Cow and Calf Performance
and Feed Utilization in an Intensive Production System
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1866&context=animalscinbcr
Summary: “The effects of calf weaning age on cow and calf performance, reproduction, and feed utilization were investigated in a two-year study. Early weaning increased cow BW in January. Pregnancyrates were not impacted by calf age at weaning. Dry matter intake (DMI) was similar between normal-weaned
cow-calf pairs and early-weaned cows and calves. Feed requirements and utilization were comparable between
early- and normal-weaned pairs when fed high energy diets, implying weaning decisions should be made on the basis of
management rather than feed efficiency.”
Hi Gene,
Thanks for the link to the paper. It’s on my “to read” list. Until then, for everyone reading, could you help us understand how this relates to the farmer/rancher facing drought and reduced forage? The title says it’s about feed utilization in an intensive production system, so I’m interested in making sure we’re comparing apples and apples.
Thanks!
Kathy