Think about weaning

Is it ever the wrong time to think about weaning calves? I don’t think so–it’s always on my mind. Better to have plans for them before they are born than look at their growth-spurt at five months and consider alternatives. The drought may have eased in a few places, but for many thousands of producers, the fact or at least uncertainty remains. All the more reason to figure out weaning now.

We have seen data for decades that says calves weaned “on the highway” have a great disadvantage in performance and grade. MOST of those calves end up costing the next owners thousands of dollars and disappointing consumers. But we recently found an exception: if they are headed for a caretaker that specializes in such truckloads of bawling calves.

When a recent analysis of the Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity data showed virtually no link between days weaned and subsequent performance, we noted that was because enrollment requirements specify weaning. Turning next to the CAB Feedlot Licensing Program (FLP) database of more than 2 million records, we found something counterintuitive. Of course, most calves in that database were also noted as weaned, but it seemed strange at first to see those “unweaned” had better performance and grade!

Many cow-calf guys worried about not having enough grass to get through the year paid attention to Jill Dunkel’s April story in Angus Journal, When ‘Unweaned’ is OK.  If you are going to wean on the truck, send them to the perfect new home where you made reservations, that has the lights on and a welcome mat out for them.  

That’s not to say this is a better plan than a structured weaning and 45-day preconditioning program at home, but a few producers wean without following all the best management practices and their calves don’t shine at the feedlot or in the packing plant. This is a great time to review your plans and make sure they will help build your reputation for quality. It’s also a time to realize that you can make contact with feedlots about careful coordination to receive your unweaned calves in a partnership pen, thus opening a marketing door you may not have considered.

As we all look forward to weaning, whenever and however, let’s make sure there’s a plan that adds quality and value, that helps us build tomorrow together.

–Steve

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