Weaning

Weaning: Time to evaluate cow performance

kalyn.waters@ufl.edu — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0400

While most of us are either dodging rain or praying for it in the hayfield, fall will be here soon, and weaning time will sneak up on us again. Whether you ship your calves straight off the cow or choose to wean them, those days around weaning are key times for management decisions to be made and data to be collected. But not just for the calves, also for the cows.

South Central: Age and location: Key factors for weaning success

jason.banta@ag.tamu.edu — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

When it comes to weaning, it is important to consider the age of calves.

Southeast: Weaning considerations for healthy calves

kmason21@utk.edu — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Weaning is a stressful time for calves, cows and the folks who are caring for them. But there are some considerations to keep in mind related to timing, strategy and handling to make the process a bit smoother for everyone involved.

Midwest/North: Manage your herd, manage drought

wmeteer@gmail.com — Wed, 25 Jun 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Consider a few animal management strategies to mitigate the effects of drought.

Weaning calves – art or science?

zeb_gray@diamondv.com — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 01:00:00 -0400

It is hard to have blanket recommendations for producers across the U.S., as environments and production practices vary so much between regions and even producers within regions. Nonetheless, there are some basic principles and practices that will give your calves the best chance at navigating the weaning process.

Weaning considerations

megan.vanemon@montana.edu — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0400

It’s never too early to start planning for weaning. Several factors play a role in making weaning management decisions, such as drought, cow body condition, pasture conditions, weaning weight, calf sale contracts, labor and many others.

Timing of weaning: How should we think about it?

thomasjor@missouri.edu — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 12:18:59 -0400

Our decision on when to wean calves is an incredibly powerful lever we have as managers. How should we make the decision on when to wean?

Combat weaning stress with a new tool for ranchers

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 13:11:50 -0400

A new tool for ranchers could be a game-changer when preconditioning calves.

Managing nutrition and stress in newly weaned calves

levi.mcphillips@gplc-inc.com — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:13:22 -0400

Fall is a busy time in the cattle business. For the rancher and cow-calf producer, it is the time to reap the fruits of our labor.

South Central: Weaning time and body condition are key to reproduction rates

jason.banta@ag.tamu.edu — Tue, 24 May 2022 14:00:01 -0400

Assuming there is not a major disease or bull issue, cow body condition score (BCS) is the number one factor that impacts pregnancy rates.

Set your sights early for weaning calves

Mon, 25 Apr 2022 14:00:01 -0400

Sometimes weaning early can be beneficial, but for success you need to plan ahead and be set up to do it properly.

3 key reasons to consider early weaning

jill.peine@ridleyinc.com — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:01 -0400

The time in which calves are weaned is typically based on their age or weight or because “that is when it has always been done.”