Benefits of early weaning
Typically, it is easier and cheaper to feed a young calf (weaner) and its mother separately, than it is to feed a lactating cow/calf unit.
In extreme conditions, early weaning is usually the best option for a range of reasons:
- The feed requirement of a dry cow is often only 50–65% of a cow with calf at foot.
- Very young weaners eat relatively small quantities of feed, which often reduces the total labour input involved with feeding.
- Well-fed and managed early weaners will perform just as well later in life, as normally weaned calves — starved calves left on cows may not.
- The dry cows can be fed at a dramatically reduced level and cost, and in some instances may not need to be fed at all. If the cows had become extremely poor, they will need a higher level of feeding for a period of time to pick up weight and condition to an acceptable level. Dry cows will typically gain weight quite rapidly on the same feed that they were previously losing weight on, with a calf at foot.
- Cow deaths if imminent, can often be avoided.
- Many more cows will go back in calf in a timely matter.
- Marketing options are opened up. That is, in a drought it is virtually impossible to sell heavily pregnant cows or cows with very young calves at foot. Once the calves are weaned, there is good opportunity to look seriously at further reducing stock numbers. Once cows dry off, they will pick up condition and are easily transported.
It is worth doing some sums to look at the option of production feeding some cows for a short period, e.g. 50 days on grain. This can be quite profitable if there is adequate premium associated with moving up one or two weight and price categories at the meatworks. It also further reduces stock numbers on the property and increases the pasture response from any rainfall received.