Page 16 - 2024-SJ-Beef-Week

Stock Journal Beef Week | 2024
Early weaning impacts

assessed for calf, mother

BY BROOKE
LITTLEWOOD
COMMON perception
may be the bigger the
Acalf at weaning, the
bigger the pay cheque.
But a WA-based trial is
testing that assumption,
by testing weaning dates.
On an Esperance, WA,
producer demonstration
site, Swans Veterinary
Services is working with
grower group ASHEEP,
and Meat & Livestock
Australia is looking to
see if there are benefits
to weaning two months
earlier than typical
practice in the district.
As part of the three-year
project, eight local cattle
producers agreed to break
away from the tradition
with half of their herd.
Those involved
nominated exactly when
they wanted to wean, with
Swans Veterinary Services
partner Enoch Bergman
weighing all cows and A Western Australian producer demonstration site is looking into the benefits of weaning two months earlier
calves two months before than typical for the district. Picture supplied
the proposed date, before
cows were wet/dried However, he said there the milk bar as long as we, earlier would also reduce
and their body condition should be a measurable and their mother, would morbidity and mortality
score estimated. difference in the weight let them.” rates in the feedlot.
He excluded any dry and body condition scores Dr Bergman said He said one of his
cows and managed the of the cows. calculations showed a lot feeding clients had
weaned calves separately. He said while cows cow with a calf at-food shown an eight-fold
“Calves remaining on used considerable needed 15.5kg of dry increase in morbidity and
their dams will be weaned amounts of energy to matter to maintain their a seven-fold increase in
about two months later,” produce milk, only about own body weight and feed mortality for calves that
Dr Bergman said. 40 per cent of that energy their calf. had transitioned through
“Everything will be was transferred to the calf If the pair was separated the saleyards, when
weighed again and the once they grew too old to and left to fend for compared with those that
cow’s body condition adequately digest milk. themselves, only 9.6kgs had been weaned in the
scored. Unfortunately, he said of dry matter would be yard and brought through
“Again, they will be wet/ there was no way around needed to maintain the vendors.
dried to ascertain which the significant energy cow and grow the weaned “We believe the rumen
ones are more likely input, as milk is simply an calf to the same extent. in those animals, which
to have had their calf expensive product for a He said producers could have been eating strictly
weaned previously. cow’s liver to produce. budget on reducing their grass and no milk,
“The body condition “Once it is created, animal’s feed requirements changes to optimise the
score and weights of the we should endeavour by as much as 38pc once ability to extract as much
wet versus dry cows will to ensure none of that calves had been weaned. energy as possible from
be compared, excluding precious resource is “By getting calves the forages they eat in the
the cows that were dry at wasted,” Dr Bergman said. off their mothers a bit form of highly energetic
the first round of weaning.” “Mother Nature has earlier, and before the short chain volatile fatty
So what exactly helped in that endeavour, season finishes, better acids,” he said.
is the trial trying to as 90pc of the energy from feed resources can be “However, when there
demonstrate? milk is absorbed by a partitioned to go down is still milk in the mix, the
Dr Bergman hopes to newborn calf - until the calf the throats of calves,” rumen doesn’t develop as
show there is “very little becomes a ruminant. he said. much surface area to help
difference” between calves “If left on their mothers, Separately, Dr Bergman effectively absorb those
weaned earlier and later. they would continue to hit said weaning calves volatile fatty acids.”
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