Making sure a heifer is fully prepared before weaning reduces the chance she will need preferential treatment post-weaning. Preferentially managing small groups of animals to try and “catch them up” to the group is time-consuming and can be difficult to manage, so it is best avoided by good early management.
Factors to consider before weaning
Is the calf:
- Consuming the desired amount of feed? Is its rumen sufficiently developed?
- Meeting its weight-for-age target, based on its breed and/or the rearing system?
- At the minimum age for the rearing system?
- Able to compete within a group?
Nutritional guidelines for calves
Calf weight (kg) |
Liveweight gain (kg/day) |
DM intake (kg/day) |
ME (MJ/day) |
% of crude protein (CP) in diet |
45 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
15 |
25 |
55 |
0.8 |
1.2 |
21 |
23 |
70 |
0.8 |
2.0 |
26 |
18 |
90 |
0.8 |
2.5 |
30 |
17 |
Sometimes animals do not thrive post-weaning so weigh them within 7-10 days to make sure they have gained weight from weaning. If they’re not thriving post-weaning they may need continued access to calf meal, regardless of weight or age.
Weaning weight
Individual heifers should reach a minimum weight prior to weaning. No specific weaning weight has been defined by research. The type of rearing system will affect the target weaning weight. Although, common weights used for weaning are 70kg for Jerseys, 80kg for Fr x J Crossbreds, and 90kg for Friesians.
Competing within a group
Heifers need to be competing with the group before they are weaned. Any that are not should be held back.
Relocating recently weaned calves
Relocation can result in growth checks or be a trigger for animal health issues including pneumonia, scouring and parasites.
Recently weaned calves are at particular risk as they will be undergoing changes in diet, rumen development, and moving from individual or small group care to larger mob management. Relocation adds to the risk; the younger the animal, and the more recently they have been weaned, the higher the risk.
Relocation criteria |
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Individual animals |
Mobs |
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