Does Weaning Method, Forage Source Matter?

By Phillip Lancaster

Weaning and preconditioning is a stressful time for calves, but it’s a time when a lot of value can be gained with the right management. Preconditioning can allow calves to get over the stress of weaning, train to eat from a bunk and gain weight  all of which add value to the calves at the time of sale.

At weaning calves often spend a considerable amount of time walking the fence bawling and, more importantly, not eating. During this time, they can lose weight, which means for preconditioning to be cost-effective, the calves must regain the lost weight and gain additional weight.

A recent study evaluated three different weaning methods and three different forage sources on preconditioning weight gain. Calves were weaned abruptly, fenceline weaned, or nose-flap weaned. Within each weaning method, calves were fed cool-season grass-clover baleage, Bermuda-grass hay, or grazed a pasture with a mixture of crabgrass, pearl millet and forage soybean for 60 days.

The crude protein contents of the baleage, hay and pasture were 14.9, 12.8 and 10.6%, respectively. The estimated total digestible nutrients (TDN) of all forage sources was approximately 55%. All calves were fed dried distillers’ grains at 1% of body weight.

There was no interaction between weaning method and preconditioning diet. Calves weaned using the fenceline method gained 1.85 pounds (lb.) per day compared with 1.76 lb. per day for the nose-flap and abrupt weaning methods during the first 30 days.

There was no difference in weight gain among weaning methods for the second 30 days or overall.

Calves fed hay gained faster in the first 30 days of the preconditioning period, but much slower in the second 30 days than calves fed baleage or pasture (see Fig. 1). There was no difference in gain between baleage and pasture groups in the first or second 30 days.