Spring calves have been through a lot this year. From braving the cold and wind in March, staying afloat in the waterlogged fields in April, to coping with the extreme heat in June and July, so it’s fair to say that it has been quite a stressful first eight-to-10 months of their lives. Unfortunately, calves are now at risk of being placed under more stress once again as weaning begins on farms across the country.

Unlike the disagreeable weather conditions, farmers do have some degree of control over the stress levels endured by calves during weaning, based primarily on the techniques used. This is where it gets complicated. Despite the many ground rules and the general advice surrounding weaning, it is one of the few tasks that takes place on beef farms each year where the method varies greatly from farm to farm.

Of course the key principals of weaning are to minimise stress, to ensure calves stay healthy and to ensure performance doesn’t take any significant set-backs. The general advice is to vaccinate (if necessary), to wean groups gradually over a longer period of time, to ensure facilities are optimum and to introduce concentrates.

However, it becomes somewhat of a grey area after this and most farmers adopt different techniques based on what historically works on their own farms each year. In many cases, you will find one of the main contributors to weaning technique is the system employed on the farm. Other factors to affect weaning technique will be land type, the herd’s health status and even the availability of labour on the farm.

One final factor which affects all farms, is the weather. This time last year the majority of spring calves were weaned at this stage, as terrible underfoot conditions forced the housing of most stock groups. This year is a completely different ball game with weaning taking place a month-to-six weeks later on most farms, in an attempt to fully utilise grazed grass and avoid housing stock for as long as possible.

With that, I spoke to three Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER Farm beef challenge participants this week to see the different methods they were using to wean calves on their farms.

John and Gerard Grieve

Co Donegal

Weaning for John and Gerard Grieve took place on a very gradual basis over a number of weeks. Weaning started around the middle of September and to date, 30 out of 35 calves have been weaned. Approximately six calves were weaned at a time, with the strongest six calves being weaned each time. To manage this, the mothers of the six calves being weaned were left behind in a paddock while the rest of the group were moved on to further paddocks and fields for grazing.

Prior to weaning, John explained how the calves were managed:

“This year we gave the calves meal for a good month before weaning. This was something we always used to do but last year, because of the volume of grass on the farm, we decided not to give any.” Having compared both methods, John firmly believes that creeping calves prior to weaning is the way to go: “We are targeting the bulls for under 16 month beef so I think the meal is vital before weaning to ensure continued thrive when they leave the cow. We can’t afford any set-backs to this group of stock.”

Pre-weaning health care is very simple on the farm also, with calves just receiving a worm treatment prior to weaning. On the issue of vaccines John said:

“We have never had much trouble with disease here thankfully so we don’t do any vaccinating. This year we vaccinated the cows for lepto for the first time and that will be all the vaccinating for this year.”

Now that weaning is almost complete, the plan going forward for these weanlings will be to ensure performance is maintained. Bull weanlings are currently averaging 370kg. They are housed and are receiving high-quality baled silage ad-lib and 3kg of concentrates. As mentioned, these are going for the under 16-month bull route and will be built up on concentrates throughout the winter. Heifer calves are averaging 345kg at present and these remain outside. They will be left out for as long as possible and will then be sold live before housing.

Cathal and Peter Breen

Co Wexford

“In the past, we literally used to wean as the cows and calves were coming in and this would be very dependent on weather. The whole group would be weaned with cows and calves housed opposite each other for four to five days before moving somewhere else,” says Cathal about weaning techniques on the farm.

This year, the Breens are taking a different approach and 30 of the strongest calves will be weaned next week before housing and left at grass.

“The bull calves that are weaned will go in with the dairy bull calves we reared this year and the heifer calves will go in with the dairy heifers. Their mothers will also be left at grass a long as possible to save on feeding.” For these calves, their first time seeing meal will be when they are weaned. Cathal explained “if we were doing under 16-month bulls then they would need meal now but there isn’t too much pressure on just yet.

Myself and my father have off-farm jobs so to start feeding calves meal on top of all the other jobs wouldn’t be possible.”

The remainder of the calves will be weaned as they come into the shed when weather conditions dictate. They will be weaned using the old system by housing cows and calves separately in pens opposite each other. After four or five days the calves will then be moved onto a different shed where they will remain for much of the winter. Over the winter, all calves will receive silage and meal as a store diet, and the hope will be to get bulls and heifers out as early as possible next spring once again. In terms of vaccinating, Cathal says

“We have never had a problem with pneumonia in the past so we don’t do any vaccinating for it. We don’t squeeze them into the sheds too tight so they are nice and airy and I think this makes a massive difference.”