Early Weaning Feeding Weaner Cattle
6.2.2. Early Weaning
In some circumstances, weaning some or all calves before the planned weaning date is necessary. Poor calf health, inadequate milk supply from the mother, and weaning to prevent excessive body condition loss by breeders in adverse times e.g. drought may all be prompts to wean calves early. Calves can be weaned as early as eight weeks old as long as a high protein and energy diet is provided minimum of 11.5 MJ ME and 15 protein. However, they are easier to manage if early weaned around 3 to 4 months of age. If grain is used in the weaning diet, the grain must be introduced gradually over a period of 14 to 18 days, and always provide a ibre source. Providing a small quantity of supplementary feed to the cows whilst they still have their calves at foot helps to educate the calves to accept the supplement as they see their mothers consuming the feed and mimic their actions. Once calves are adapted to the supplement, they may even be ‘creep fed’ in the paddock prior to weaning to assist in the transition to a prepared diet whilst they are in the yards during weaning. Creep feeding is enabled by placing the supplementary feed in a structure that can only be accessed by the calves and not the cows Fig. 6.2.6.2.3. Feeding Weaner Cattle
Weaner cattle have high requirements for both protein and energy to accommodate their requirements to grow and achieve reproductive maturity by 15 months of age, and for heifers in particular, to be able to subsequently calve by 24 months of age. Post-weaning diets should aim to provide rations containing 11.5MJ of metabolisable energy ME and a minimum of 15 crude protein. A diet of this quality will enable the weaners to gain weight at a rate in excess of 1kg per day. Lower quality diets will reduce the daily gain of weaners. However, lower growth rates may be desirable in circumstances where heifers are assessed to be in an ‘over fat’ condition in the period immediately before they are due to be joined, and are at risk of lower conception rates at joining. Figure 6.2. Creep feeding facilities can be either specially designed feed bins with calf-only access left, or a small pen placed in the paddock with an access gate through which only the calves can pass. Source: Advantage Feeders, Georgia Simmental. 159 Cold Winter Climates 7. Winter Management7.1. Adaptation of Australian Cattle
Parts
» LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Importance of Planning LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Timing Trained Staff Planning for Arrival
» Quarantine Facilities Water on Arrival
» Management of Health on Arrival Feeding on Arrival
» Winter Feeding Planning for Arrival
» Monitoring In Quarantine General Health and Husbandry
» Arrival Checklist Planning for Arrival
» Paddocks and Fencing Developing the Property
» Cattle Yards Developing the Property
» Raceways Loading and Unloading Ramps
» Laneways Gates Developing the Property
» Yard Posts Electronic Scales Crush and Head Bail
» Water Troughs Developing the Property
» Modernising Traditional Winter Facilities
» Winter Confinement Feeding Sites
» Confinement Yards Winter Facilities
» Planning Requirements On-Farm Fodder Storage
» Ruminant Digestive System LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Feed Intake The First Limiting Nutrient
» Digestibility Fibre Concepts of Nutrition and Feeding
» Vitamins Nutrient Balance Essential Nutrients
» Water LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Moulds and Mouldy Feeds Cold Weather Impacts on Feed
» Body Condition Scoring Observational Skills
» How to Recognise Sick Animals
» Healthy Animal Behaviour Reading Manure Early Diagnosis and Treatment
» Prevention Rather than Treatment Nutritional Stress
» Understanding the Animal Welfare Requirement Features of Sight
» Flight Zones Education and Training
» Moving Animals Safe, Low Stress Cattle Handling
» Euthanasia Safe, Low Stress Cattle Handling
» Understanding the Animal Welfare Requirement Preventing Injury
» Features of Suitable Cattle Transport
» Preparing Animals for Transport Loading
» Loading Density In-Transit Care
» Unloading Transporting in Extreme Weather
» External Parasites Common Cattle Diseases
» Internal Parasites Common Cattle Diseases
» Diseases Affecting Reproductive Performance
» Clostridial Diseases Common Cattle Diseases
» Other Important Diseases Common Cattle Diseases
» Bloat Common Cattle Diseases
» Australian Health Status Developing a Breeding Objective
» Selecting the Most Appropriate Breed
» Crossbreeding With Local Breeds - Beef and Dairy
» Physical Evaluation of Bulls
» Structural Soundness and Body Conformation
» Penis and Prepuce Scrotum and Testicles
» Semen Sample Ability to Mate Serving Capacity
» Bull Management and Preparation for Mating Bull to Cow Ratio
» Reproductive Organs Oestrus Cycle and Heat Detection
» Mating After Calving Using Artificial Insemination in the Reproductive Cycle Pregnancy Detection
» Preparations for Calving Calving Management
» Abnormal Calving Calving Management
» Failure to Conceive Culling Unproductive Cattle from
» Failure to Produce a Live Calf Failure to Raise a Calf to a Healthy Weaner
» Cast-for-Age Culling Unproductive Cattle from
» Selecting Replacement Breeders Heifers
» Targets for Heifer Development
» Selecting Appropriate Sires for Heifer Mating First Calving
» Relationship Between Feeding LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Animal Identification Calf Processing
» Castration Dehorning Calf Processing
» Early Weaning Feeding Weaner Cattle
» Adaptation of Australian Cattle
» Winter Management Essentials LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Bedding Managing the Welfare of Cattle in Winter
» Water Managing the Welfare of Cattle in Winter
» Feeding in Confinement Opportunities to Manage Cattle
» Winter Grazing Opportunities to Manage Cattle
» Managing Winter Grazing Opportunities to Manage Cattle
» Grazing Stockpiled Forage Swath Grazing
» Bale Grazing Opportunities to Manage Cattle
» Developing a Winter Feed Budget
» Traditional Indoor Winter Backgrounding
» Finishing LEP Cold Climate Beef Breeder Manual 2016 (English).
» Plant Adaptation Forage Species
» Legumes Forages in Farming Systems
» Grasses Forages in Farming Systems
» Selecting the Right Species Anti-nutritional Factors
» Preparation for Sowing Seed Quality
» Area Required Stocking Rate Grazing
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