Healthier Calves Start with Stress-Free Weaning Tips

By Blake Jackson

Postweaning calf performance plays a crucial role in the success of both cow-calf operations and the future owners of those calves, according to Patrick Davis, a livestock field specialist with University of Missouri Extension. Reducing stress during weaning is key to ensuring optimal postweaning performance.

Davis highlights fenceline weaning as a valuable strategy for minimizing weaning stress. This method involves placing calves in a pasture adjacent to their mothers, separated only by a secure fence, allowing visual and limited physical contact.

“Fenceline weaning improves postweaning weight gain,” says Davis. Research conducted at the University of California found that calves allowed fenceline contact with their dams for seven days gained 95% more weight in the first two weeks postweaning than those that were completely separated. This advantage in weight gain persisted for up to ten weeks, ultimately providing producers with heavier calves at sale, which boosts profitability.

“Fenceline weaning improves postweaning calf health,” Davis adds. Studies from Ohio State University showed that calves weaned with fenceline contact experienced lower rates of respiratory disease during the initial four weeks in a feedlot.

Only 15% of these calves required treatment, while the rate doubled for truck-weaned calves and was 2.5 times higher in calves weaned in a drylot setting.

This evidence indicates that fenceline weaning not only improves weight gain but also enhances calf health, leading to fewer treatments and better economic outcomes. It may also make calves more appealing to feedlot buyers who seek lower-risk animals.

Davis advises producers to ensure strong fencing barbed or woven wire with an optional electric wire or outrigger on the calf side. “Facility modifications may be needed for successful fenceline weaning,” he says.

Additionally, he recommends acclimating cows and calves to the weaning pasture beforehand and providing high-quality forage and fresh water. “The fenceline weaning process should take 7-4 days,” Davis notes.

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