Late Weaning Benefits Calves and Cow Herds

By Scout Nelson

Some ranchers are considering late weaning as an option for improving calf health and winter management. Instead of weaning spring born calves in early fall, some families choose to leave calves with their mothers until winter. This practice can reduce stress and help calves transition more easily.

One rancher explains that his calves are born in late April and May, but they are not weaned until around Christmas. In past years, the pregnancy tested cows in late October and then returned calves back with their mothers for almost two more months.

He notices that older calves stay calmer during weaning and adjust better when removed from their mothers. When necessary, he separates bull and steer calves earlier and leaves heifers with their mothers until February because he believes longer time with the cow produces better replacement females.

To prepare for winter, he plans ahead by saving grass during the summer. Some pastures are not grazed until fall or winter, which allows cow calf pairs to stay together without heavy feeding. This reduces the need for hay and lowers labor. His goal is to graze through the entire winter, and he recently reached that goal for the first time.

Currently the ranch has 100 cow-calf pairs, plus a lot of heifers as they plan to expand.

“I don’t want our base herd to get much bigger than about 200 to 250, or we’d have to feed a lot of hay,” Kalberer says. “We try to keep the base herd small and not have to feed hay, and it’s really small right now because prices have been so high that we weren’t retaining heifers. We fill our summer pastures with stockers.”

Wintering pairs together is a great program for people who calve in late spring, he says.

“Our smaller-frame cows do great for this; they don’t lose condition. I can leave a calf on them until Christmas, and those cows don’t look any different than they did when I pulled them off summer pasture grass in October,” Kalberer says. “I don’t have to baby them.”

Any cow that falls apart in the winter or doesn’t wean a calf doesn’t get a second chance.

Late weaning also supports rumen development in calves. Research shows older calves have more developed rumens and can absorb nutrients more efficiently. Even a small amount of milk during late fall may help calves grow into more productive and efficient cattle. For ranchers who calve in late spring, keeping pairs together longer can be a successful option.

Photo Credit: istock-simplycreativephotography