Get cows in condition
By Dr. Jim White
Your herd’s breeding season will be more successful with a little investment in feeding cows.
A look across MFA’s trade territory shows me that producers have quite a few cows with low body condition scores as we go through this breeding season. Due to drought and the challenges of snow and ice this past winter, producers have been scrambling to find adequate forage. In fact, many were scrambling before the winter’s real weather hit.
That means this breeding season’s conception rates are at risk.
The practice of flushing thin females will improve reproduction rates. This is certainly an option if we have the time and the feed. However with the pace of today’s farm and forage availability, some producers are looking for a way to reduce forage demand and improve conception rate.
That is not too much to ask, is it?
It isn’t, but it takes some effort. One management practice that will reduce forage demand and improve conception rates is early weaning calves and raising them in a dry lot situation. Weaning earlier than normal will reduce the forage need for the cows. Remember, when forage is short, calves compete with the cows for forage.
How early is “early weaning?” Calves can be weaned from the cow when they are 8 to 12 weeks of age. Yes, that is early, but consider the fact that most dairy calves never had the chance to suckle. Weaning calves at under 90 days of age improves rebreeding rates.
University research compared early weaned and normal weaned mature cows and cows with their first calf.
Why does early weaning work? It gives the cow a break. Early weaning will reduce feed demand and improve conception rates because a lactating cow has about twice the energy and protein requirement that a dry cow has. Dry thin cows return to estrus faster than thin cows nursing a calf. Back when every farm had a few pigs, this was commonly understood. Producers wean sows at early days in milk so they can breed them on a schedule. Sows with 4-week-old pigs at their side don’t cycle. Sows weaned at 17 to 23 days will cycle at 4 weeks. Sows peak in their milk at about 6 weeks, but sows with pigs at their side will cycle at 8 weeks, unless she got pulled down pretty hard. There does seem to be some hormonal changes in weaned cows and sows that stimulate return to estrus.
While a principal objective of early weaning is to achieve adequate reproductive efficiency in cows, another crucial objective should be to not overgraze drought stressed pastures. Overgrazing will have detrimental long-term effects on forage production by reducing plant vigor and density of preferred species. For example, in pastures where the fescue had been gnawed into the ground, I have seen good growth of spiny amaranth.
Prior to weaning, introduce creep feed as soon as possible. All calves over 2 weeks of age are creep feed candidates. Creep feeding will encourage subsequent dry feed intake. Calves that are going to be weaned early need at least a month’s exposure to creep feed.
Making early weaning work
Smaller and younger calves are not as successful as older, larger calves in pushing and shoving to the bunk. Given a weaned calf’s ability to get feed is somewhat dictated by their ability to push and shove, the spread of calf age and size should be as small as possible.
When weaning young calves, the first 2 weeks are the most crucial. The weaning ration needs to be high in protein and very palatable. MFA Stand Out Calf Starter, MFA 17% Calf BT are the preferred products to initially use. If you need a non-medicated option, try MFA 16% Calf Starter Feed. Intake will be low, every bite needs to count.
Calves should be in groups of 20 or less. A small pen with a shelter or hutch along with recognizable feeders and waterers will help get early weaned calves on the road to eating well. Weaned calves tend to walk the fence, so putting feed and water along the fence helps them find it. Likewise, one or two older, longer-weaned calves in a group of newly weaned calves may be helpful. Recently weaned calves often follow older calves to water and feed. Calves should be eating 2 to 3 percent of their bodyweight as concentrate ration after 2 weeks post weaning.
I am very fond of silage, but weaning calves on silage is not recommended. The preferred forage is grass hay.
Calves in the dry lot
Their performance will potentially be excellent, numerous studies show calves weaned young and fed a high concentrate diet gain weight faster than calves left on the cow. Additionally, early feeding of a high energy ration has been associated with improved carcass grade.
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