With sky-high prices, limited pasture and breeding stock in low condition, early weaning will be a key management tool this season. Weaning lambs and calves early has a range of benefits including:
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- feed cost savings: feed requirements are reduced when stock are weaned and fed separately.
- better allocation of limited feed resources: high quality feed can be targeted towards young stock.
- increased management and marketing flexibility: more flexibility around what stock will be kept, sold or agisted. Dry stock can get by on poorer feed.
- improved fertility: restoring lost body condition is much easier once lambs/calves have been weaned. Reaching fat/condition score targets at critical stages of the breeding cycle is key to ensuring the future fertility of your breeding enterprise.
For flocks with a five week joining, weaning can be done as early as 10 weeks from the start of lambing (minimum 10kg liveweight).
With cattle it is preferable to wait until calves are 12 weeks old/120kg liveweight. While calves can be weaned younger/lighter than this, feeding and management becomes much more difficult. Let cow condition be the major factor when deciding when to wean.
Early weaning can be done successfully but requires good preparation and management. Weaners need to be fed for growth, and nutrition is paramount. Aim to provide 12 megajoules of metabolisable energy and 14-18 percent protein (depending on liveweight).
Due to the difficulties in sourcing feed, especially high protein feeds, it is important to plan well ahead so you have feed ready to go two-three weeks before weaning. This way you will be able to feed some supplement out and ‘train’ the followers while they are still on mum.
Local Land Services will be running a “Talking Cows and Calves” workshop at Binda on Friday, November 9. This practical workshop will cover a range of topics around joining cows and weaning calves. For further information or to register call the Goulburn office on 4824 1900.