Success StoryWeaning for Profits



Weaning for Profits

Author: Tad Campbell

Planning Unit: Mason County CES

Major Program: Beef

Plan of Work: Livestock Production

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

With cattle profits tightening over the last couple of years for feeder calves, producers are looking for ways to maximize profits for cattle operations.  The University of Kentucky Beef Specialist and Beef IRM Coordinator hosted multiple fence-line weaning demonstrations across the state.  The demonstrations were organized to allow nose to nose contact with cows and calves during the initial weaning time and also input cost was evaluated in layouts of the demonstrations.  Mason County had two beef producers participate in the state demonstration during weaning calf crops in the fall.  Both producers felt the demonstration was effective from a stress limiting factor for calves during the initial part of weaning.  Calves were separated from cows using electric tape and polywire with plastic and fiberglass posts while having plenty of pasture for both cows and calves.  A solar charger energized the fence and reels were used to run fence lengths to allow for a time savings factor for the study.  Weights from one location were taken on the day calves were separated from cows and then weighed seven days later.   The producer’s calf crop averaged a 7 pound loss over the first week of weaning but quickly regained and showed over 2 pounds per day per calf average at a three week weaning weight.  From the data collected it is thought that lowering stress at weaning can lessen pounds lost during the initial first week allowing gains to rebound faster to have more salable pounds of beef during a set window.   Plans are in place to continue to test to see if those gains can be significant, however, lowering stress at weaning on the calves can have a positive affect for lower illness and decrease time for calves to adjust to feeding bunks and waterers with neither location utilized creep feeding as a practice on the operation. Producers indicated calves were quicker to respond to them being in the pen while feeding and seemed calmer as a whole.  As we move into a time when the market it putting more emphasis on weaned calves, producers with limited space can utilize the demonstration layout to offer a weaning area when dedicated space is not available.






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