Early-March born calves are approaching eight weeks now and should be getting ready to be weaned. However, more important than the age of the calf is its weight and how much concentrate it is eating daily.

Calves should be eating in excess of 1kg per day at the point of weaning. This shouldn’t be an issue if fresh concentrates are being offered at all times.

Calves on once a day feeding and out by day.

It is really important to have concentrate available for calves immediately after feeding milk as this is the time that they are most likely to go looking for something sweet after their main meal!

Moving outdoors

Although the weather over the next few days looks changeable, getting calves out to grass is still recommended, even if only by day, prior to weaning. If you see a break in the weather in the coming days, start to move calves outdoors.

Calves can go in and out to a paddock around the yard by day as they transition to outdoors.

If we change too much at one time for the calf e.g. diet and environment, this can cause stress. A stressed calf will not perform and in these systems, every kilo matters.

On the Irish Farmers Journal, Thrive demonstration farm, calves transition to once a day feeding at around five to six weeks. Following this they have access to a paddock around the yard by day if they wish to use it. Ideally two weeks prior to weaning off milk the calves go outside full-time.

This will encourage them to increase their grass intake and smooth the transition from milk. Sward heights need to be low and leafy.

Shelter is important – even though daytime temperatures are warm, night-time temperatures can still be in the single digits.

Water

When calves move outdoors make sure they know where their water source is, make sure it is clean and make sure that calves are big enough to reach it comfortably. If water intake is compromised feed intake will follow.