WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — For beef producers who have fall calving operations, now is the time to prepare weaning accommodations and consider timeframes, said one Purdue University beef expert.

"For calves born in September, October or a little later – those around the seven-month mark – we need to be thinking about weaning in the near future and what techniques are right for specific operations," said Ron Lemenager, Purdue extension specialist.

Lemenager said farmers should be taking into account the health of the cows and their calves going into weaning. If cows have maintained good body condition in the spring, he recommends delaying weaning to nine months of age so calves can gain weight more quickly and with less stress. If cows have been thin or losing weight in the spring, he says it is better to wean calves earlier so the adults can retain more nutrients by stopping milk production.

Another factor affecting calf health at weaning time is the stress involved in processing procedures such as vaccination, castration and dehorning. Lemenager recommends vaccinating calves before weaning to prevent respiratory problems and lessen stress throughout the weaning process.

"It is better not to have weaning stress on top of the stresses of vaccination, castration and dehorning," he explained. "Castration and dehorning can cause fairly little stress when calves can still have their mothers to nurse on, which lessens the chance of health problems."

Lemenager suggested vaccinating calves at least three weeks prior to weaning, as well as castrating and dehorning.

Management procedures done pre-weaning also help prevent infection in calves weaned on a dry lot, which gives them a chance to heal from processing on clean grass while still nursing. It is also important to get castration and dehorning done early to prevent irritation from flies and other insects, which populate some operations heavily when temperatures rise.

Lemenager said calves processed pre-sale are more valuable to feedlot and stocker operations.

Brian Whitlock, an associate professor in veterinary medicine at the University of Tennessee, had more to say about weaning calves before sale. He pointed to a USDA survey collected in 2008 for the most accurate information regarding weaning practices.

"The data collection shows that many calves are weaned zero days post-weaning, meaning most calves are weaned when taken directly to the sale barn," he said. "These calves will not always know how to eat grain and drink from a commercial watering trough."

Lemenager said there are three main weaning techniques producers can use, depending on their operation layouts.

One he prefers is fence line weaning, in which calves are separated from their mothers in an adjacent pasture. This way, the calves can see, hear and almost touch noses with their mothers, which lessens stress and reduces vocalization.

For this technique, the separating fence must be strong. "I like the fence line process, and we’ve got a lot of producers who have been doing that successfully," he said. "The alternative to that, which I like, is probably ‘out of sight, out of mind.’"

In this kind of weaning, calves are completely removed from the cows and placed in an area where they cannot see or hear their mothers, which also reduces stress. Lemenager said this works well when calves have been introduced to creep feed a few weeks prior to weaning.

Whitlock said some of the most progressive beef operations he has seen have used fence line weaning. "Fence line weaning reduces the risk of calves getting sick and can reduce mortality," he added.

Lemenager does not have a preference between fence line and total removal weaning; however, he did say to avoid situations where calves are weaned in an area where they can hear but not see their mothers, as the adults’ calls will cause calves to search for them, leading to stress. "If calves are weaned and processed smoothly before they are sold, it is safer for a feedlot or stocker operation to buy them, from a health standpoint, as there is a lot less risk of calves getting sick," he said. "So they are typically, but not always, worth more."