It seems so simple. Just increase the weaning rate – the percentage of calves weaned per cow exposed – within a cowherd and production increases, thereby diluting costs. From an industry standpoint, based on the Jan. 1 beef cow inventory of 30.864 million head, an increased weaning weight of every additional percent means the equivalent of 308,640 additional calves....More

Weaning time is harvest time in cow-calf country. This can be a stressful time for the cow, the calf and the rancher. Probably the most critical weaning...More

There are several good ways to wean your calves. Chasing them down the middle of a highway isn't one of them. Yet, through no fault of his own, that's...More

Blame Mother Nature. Within the first few hours of a calf's life, it gets up, looks for the udder, and sucks on everything from the cow's brisket to the...More

Deciding whether to hold calves and add weight between weaning and the feedlot should be a tough decision....More

The decision to creep feed, which is any feed a producer provides calves while they're still nursing, is one that must judged by its cost-effectiveness, says Karl Hoppe, North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension livestock specialist at the...More

The following bullet points from www.foragebeef.ca provide some background and pointers regarding the early weaning of calves. Provided proper management and nutritional needs are met, early weaning will not increase morbidity and mortality rates. ......More