Producers may be forced to wean early with the ‘legacy’ of this season to last many years

Breeders selling weaners or raising replacements may be forced into a major revamp of feeding or face problems for years, vet says.

Many cattle producers will need to consider weaning calves much earlier than normal due to the dry autumn and winter afflicting much of southern Australia.

Western Victorian livestock vet Jane Gaussen said there were many light-condition cows and producers needed to plan strategies to feed and wean calves as early as three to six months of age.

“With autumn calving cows you really need to be assessing body condition and be prepared to pull the trigger early on weaning early,” Dr Gaussen said.

This scenario was likely to be a challenge for producers who normally weaned calves at 10 months old and marketed them directly into summer weaner sales, she said.

“If you have to wean five months early and hand feed that takes a bit of a rethink on how you do things,” she said.

Producers need to consider how much condition they were likely to be able to rebuild on their cows and heifers through spring, and that any stress or challenging conditions were known to weaken animals’ immunity.

“A poor calf on a light cow is not doing any favours for the cow, or the calf,” she said.

But early weaning required planning.

“For early weaning, the big thing is protein,” she said and without adequate protein, young stock would not grow.

Feeding young calves low quality hay was not going to meet their nutritional requirements and feed testing was vital to ensure energy levels were met. Producers needed to provide good quality silage, grain or pellets for cattle.

Very young calves may need calf meal.

Calves could be weaned as early as three months, she said, but this required adequate planning and intensive management.

Young calves should be introduced to new feeds while still on their mothers so they understood how to eat it and to stimulate development of their gut so they could absorb the nutrition, Dr Gaussen said.

And, potentially grouping calves into multiple pens based on age or social groups. Shy feeders would also need to be managed.

“Weaning at five to six months old tends to be more successful and doesn’t require the same labour input,” she said.

Producers needed to consider the legacy of poor seasons on cows or replacement heifers if their condition and early growth was not well managed.

Their ability to get pregnant again and raise a calf could be set back, in the case of cows. For younger stock a poor start could set productivity back for life.

“In the case of poorly grown heifers, you can’t catch them up after the young growing period,” she said.

Instead of trying to feed and grow out all the usual heifers, producers may be better off selecting 70-80 per cent of replacements and “growing them out appropriately” with adequate nutrition.

“It makes sense, but it is actually harder to see the long-term impacts when you are in the middle of what we have been dealing with,” she said.