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As
we go into a winter with reduced hay crops and increased feed cost, I
continue to be concerned about maintaining proper body condition for
rebreeding. As a cattle producer, it is very important to maintain body
condition so that your cattle will cycle and breed. A cow that will not
breed due to lack of condition could be a large problem this spring.
There are several options to consider that will assist your cattle in
maintaining body condition.
One
option that I am asked about is early weaning of calves. Early weaning
is often used to improve cattle condition when forage is limited. The
nutrient requirements for a dry cow can be up to 40% less than for a
nursing cow. Early weaning can also initiate postpartum estrus in cows
leading to improved pregnancy rates.
There
are several advantages of early weaning your calf crop. One advantage is
that it will allow more efficient feed utilization during extreme forage
situations. Early weaning will also allow you to reduce the feed demands
of your cowherd while gaining the benefit of excellent feed conversion
of early-weaned calves.
Another
advantage is the fact that early weaning will allow you to carry more
cows on a limited feed supply and will improve rebreeding rates
throughout your herd.
While
the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of early weaning, there are
still some considerations that must be planned for when early weaning.
These include the labor, facilities and feed for small calves.
It
also increases the management on the producer’s part to make sure that
the cattle are healthy and on a high nutritional plane. Before making
the final decision on whether to early wean your calves, implement a
management plan to assure your success. This plan would include an
evaluation of current facilities, your ability to spend time monitoring
the health and performance of the calves, and your desire to spend the
extra money required to purchase a high energy, high protein diet
designed for early weaning. Once the decision is made to early wean, you
can now look at the management that must be implemented for a successful
early weaning program.
The
biggest consideration is in selecting the proper feed for early-weaned
calves. You should select a feed that is highly palatable and highly
digestible with at least 70% total digestible nutrients (TDN) and 15%
protein. You will see early in the process that one of your biggest
challenges will be getting these calves to eat and drink. These calves
are highly stressed from weaning and it is important to get them trained
to a feed bunk and water trough as quickly as possible. A highly
palatable feed and a clean water source will help you in this process.
I
would also recommend that you hand feed these calves for the first two
weeks until they are consuming 6 to 8 pounds of feed per day. Hand
feeding will also allow you to more closely monitor the overall health
of the cattle and will allow you to find sick calves more quickly.
Alabama
Farmers Cooperative offers several feeds that can assist you in early
weaning your calves. These include AFC Calf Starter, AFC Preconditioning
Pellets, AFC Bull and Steer and AFC Creep Feed. We also offer highly
palatable blocks from both Crystalyx and Sweetlix that calves will
readily accept and consume. On a good diet, you can expect one pound of
gain to every 6 pounds of fed. Also remember to provide hay free choice
along with a good mineral supplement for peak performance.
Another
critical consideration is controlling health problems that will arise in
these early-weaned calves. To lower the risk of disease and other health
issues, it is important to implement a proper vaccination program. A
proper program will consist of deworming, Respitory, and Blackleg
Vaccinations. These shots should be modified live and should be
boostered in 14 days. Your local Quality Co-op will have these vaccines
available and can help you in selecting the proper vaccines to reduce
sickness and poor performing calves. It is also important that you
manage scours and coccidosis, using a coccidiostat if you have this
problem.
Increased
labor and cost will be associated with early weaning. This extra cost
can easily be justified during a year with reduced hay and increased
feed cost. Remember it is cheaper to feed a 300-pound calf than a
1200-pound cow nursing a calf. Early weaning is just another example of
a way to stretch your forage.
I
have had the opportunity to speak at several producer meetings this fall
with a common theme of reduced hay, increased feed cost, and lower calf
prices. As we enter into the winter, please do not hesitate to contact
me or any other representative of Alabama Farmers Cooperative. We are
here to assist you in making decisions for this fall and winter feeding
season. I wish each of you a blessed holiday season and hope that next
year will bring plentiful crops with good prices.
Jimmy
Hughes is AFC’s animal nutritionist.
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