Feeding – Weaning

Weaning is one of the most stressful times for calves, and successful weaning management is essential to ensuring a smooth transition from a liquid to a solid diet. To avoid problems such as reduced growth rates, weight loss, and diarrhea at the time of weaning, there are a variety of management strategies to combat these issues.

Making weaning as stress-free as possible
The key to a smooth transition lies with the rumen development. As the calf begins to eat solid feed, the rumen starts to become populated with microbes. The more solid feed a calf eats, the more the rumen will develop to supply the calf with the necessary nutrients for growth and development.

Smooth transition
Weaning is one of the most stressful times for calves, and successful
weaning management is essential to ensure a smooth transition from a liquid to solid diet. To avoid problems, such as reduced growth rates, weight loss and diarrhea at the time of weaning, try these tips.

New research helps determine if calves are ready to be weaned
A recent study examined the practicality of a quick, accurate, and economical on-farm test to find out how much grain group-housed calves are eating.