Process of weaning.

I once heard it said that weaning is a process, not an event. I like that.

This year, weaning is going to be critical to prioritise the best feed to the neediest animals, save money and get breeders to reconceive.

It is energetically more efficient to feed a lamb or calf separately from its mother, than the unit together. For example, a cow-calf unit might need 13kg of good quality hay, whereas once they’re split, the cow can have 7kg of hay and the calf 3.5kg, saving you 2.5kg of hay per day. A ewe-lamb unit might need 1.8kg of grain per day, whereas once they’re split, the ewe can have 600g per head and the lamb 800g per head, saving you 400g of grain per day.

Producers who monitor and manage their stock to never drop below Condition Score 2 get more lambs and calves on the ground. For every kg of body tissue we lay down, it takes 34MJ of energy. For every kg we ask her to strip to meet a feed deficit we only get 28MJ back. Therefore, it is more cost effective to keep the animals in good condition rather than allow them to lose weight indiscriminately and then try to fatten them back up.  Remember the target for joining is Condition Score 3 and on a rising plane of nutrition.

 Plan your weaning, get your diet right and pay attention to the stock daily. We can help you develop a weaning plan, ration and budget.

Heifers need to grow at around 650g/head/day in order to reach critical mating weight by 15 months of age, while steers need to gain 1.1kg of weight to reach feedlot entry weight at 12 months of age. Ewe lambs need to grow at 80-100g per day to reach maiden mating weights, while fat lambs need to grow at 140g/head/day to reach 55kg by 12 months of age. It’s a lot, we can’t afford to let them go backwards!

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This information is the intellectual property of Animal Health & Nutrition Pty Ltd. No part of this work may otherwise be reproduced or copied in any form without the written permission of Animal Health & Nutrition Pty Ltd. The information is intended to be general in nature and you should seek information tailored to your situation and enterprise before making decisions.

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