TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of Weaning Management Strategies on Performance and Health of Calves during Feedlot Receiving
AU - Boyles, S. L.
AU - Loerch, Steven
AU - Lowe, G. D.
PY - 2007/12/1
Y1 - 2007/12/1
N2 - A trial was conducted to explore possible advantages of pasture-weaning calves with contact to their dams. Three weaning strategies were investigated: 1) weaned at trucking, 2) weaned 30 d before trucking and confined in drylot, and 3) weaned 30 d before trucking and pastured with fence-line contact with their dams. Steers from the drylot weaning strategy lost 0.6 kg/d the first week in the feedlot, whereas steers from the truck weaning and pasture-weaning treatments gained 0.5 and 0.4 kg/d, respectively (P = 0.01). Body weight gain in the subsequent 3 wk was similar among all treatments (P > 0.05). However, the differences in the first week upon arrival in the feedlot were enough to impact overall gain of truck- and pasture-weaned calves compared to drylot-weaned calves (P = 0.01) during the entire 4-wk feedlot arrival period. Weaning effects on incidence of morbidity also were detected (P = 0.03). Only 15% of the pastureweaned calves required treatment for respiratory disease. This incidence was doubled for truck-weaned calves and nearly 2.5 times greater for calves weaned in drylot. Pasture-weaning with calves having fence-line contact with their dams appears to be an acceptable method of weaning.
AB - A trial was conducted to explore possible advantages of pasture-weaning calves with contact to their dams. Three weaning strategies were investigated: 1) weaned at trucking, 2) weaned 30 d before trucking and confined in drylot, and 3) weaned 30 d before trucking and pastured with fence-line contact with their dams. Steers from the drylot weaning strategy lost 0.6 kg/d the first week in the feedlot, whereas steers from the truck weaning and pasture-weaning treatments gained 0.5 and 0.4 kg/d, respectively (P = 0.01). Body weight gain in the subsequent 3 wk was similar among all treatments (P > 0.05). However, the differences in the first week upon arrival in the feedlot were enough to impact overall gain of truck- and pasture-weaned calves compared to drylot-weaned calves (P = 0.01) during the entire 4-wk feedlot arrival period. Weaning effects on incidence of morbidity also were detected (P = 0.03). Only 15% of the pastureweaned calves required treatment for respiratory disease. This incidence was doubled for truck-weaned calves and nearly 2.5 times greater for calves weaned in drylot. Pasture-weaning with calves having fence-line contact with their dams appears to be an acceptable method of weaning.
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U2 - 10.15232/S1080-7446(15)31034-2
DO - 10.15232/S1080-7446(15)31034-2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:55849145091
VL - 23
SP - 637
EP - 641
JO - Applied Animal Science
JF - Applied Animal Science
SN - 2590-2873
IS - 6
ER -