My Fool Proof Weaning Strategies

Weaning 101

Weaning can be quite a pain in the…gut… for calves and their managers. It is inherently a period of stress as calves transition from a diet of predominately milk to solid feed and water. Beginning the weaning process should be based on health, weight, and age of the calf. The size of the calf will depend on the breed of cows and the goals of the farm, but an unhealthy calf should be delayed until the illness has subsided.

Weaning can be one of the most stressful periods in a calf’s life therefore, creating a strategy that reduces stress is essential to keep the calf healthy and thriving. Ideally calves transition as seamlessly as possible with few signs of distress—for example bawling or aggression at feeding time—and no signs of illness, dehydration, or weight loss.

Let’s Talk Strategy

Whether calves are housed individually, paired or in groups, I have four strategies that help to ease calves from milk to solids with LESS stress.

***It is important to note that I am not a veterinarian or a nutritionist, nor have I been to your farm to see your calves. Use the following strategies to start conversations and jump start innovative ideas for your calf program. Above all else, always listen to the calves—they will let you know if the strategies you are using are working for them.***

Healthy calves = strategies are working

Calves on the struggle bus = time to try something new

Grain Management

Calves need access to a high-quality grain from day one of life. Calves that have access to grain early in life will consume more grain and have a more robust rumen. When a calf has a well developed rumen it allows them to process and utilize solid grain more efficiently therefore causing less stress during the weaning process.

The type and nutritional make up of the grain should be evaluated and discussed with your vetrinarian and nutritionist. This may change depending on what is available in your area, what is most cost effective and what the calves will eventually need to transition to. There are other things to consider such as what will keep the best, be reasonable to feed and be managable to change out.

Long Weaning Period

Depending on the type of milk and feeding program you utilize on your farm, calves may need a longer weaning period than traditionally used, especially if calves are accustomed to consuming large volumes of milk. By creating a longer—2-3 week—weaning program the calf’s digestive system should have an opportunity to develop and utilize the grain and fiber that she is now consuming. If the calf does not have a well-developed rumen, the change from milk to grain can cause severe gut irritation and disrupt the gut function to the point of dehydration and poor nutritional uptake. An underdeveloped rumen is caused by a lack of stimulation from little to no grain consumption or stomach upsets due to illnesses and scours. Even if calves have been consuming grain since early in life, the transition can be shocking, so giving calves some time to adjust without completely pulling the milk from them, can change the outcome from illness, weight loss and poorly adjusted to annoyed but well-adjusted calves.

Large Drops in Milk

The whole point of weaning is getting calves to switch from the milk to the grain. If calves cannot tell their allotment of milk has gotten smaller, they will not eat any more grain. Calves need to be able to recognize that they are hungry, without causing them to feel as if they are starving. You need to find the middle ground. I recommend large drops and then holding that level of milk for 3-4 days. Drop again. Hold. Experiment with the size of the large drop, the number of drops needed and if the drop should be the same each time. There are a multitude of ways to make this your own and completely customized to your farm and calves.

Consider the Volume

How much milk are your calves drinking right before weaning? Consider that volume. Maybe put it in a bucket and visualize it.

Now how much grain are they supposed to be eating to have a balanced meal when milk has been completely removed from their diet? Consider this volume. Again, put it in a bucket and visualize it.

Compare the volume of milk next to the volume of grain. Many times the milk volume is MUCH larger. This can be an issue to make the calf feel full. She may over consume causing an irritated gut and potentially even acidosis. If the amount of grain is significantly smaller than the volume of milk, consider adding in a fiber such as mixed ration or hay to help slow down the over consumption of grain. This can be tricky to navigate as you do not want to add too much fiber, which reduces the amount of grain they are eating so consider this an experiment to determine what will work best for your calves.

If the volumes of milk and grain are very similar, make sure that calves do not yet have access to fiber like mixed ration or hay. Allowing the calves to fill up on a lower calorie food or a food source that is not balanced for their season of life can result in weight loss and other side effects.

Utilizing These Strategies

I use these rules to formulate all my weaning plans from large group feeding, small group feeding, and even individually fed calves. The most important point is to always pay attention to the calves. Some calves need different tweaks. There can be a formula, but an exceptional calf manager will edit the formula as the calves need it, reverting to the orginal plan for the next calf or making a permanent edit to the plan if it will improve care for all calves.

Give these strategies a try and let me know what you think! If you found this helpful and would like more of my calf rearing tips and insights, be sure to head over to AMAZON (or click this link) to get yourself a copy of The Barn Guide to Group Housing Calves.