Weaning Calves Early Can Reduce Feed Costs, Is It Right For Your Farm? – Ag Matters
It's hard to think we're experiencing drought conditions after the weekend's torrential downpours. But no snow and less rainfall than normal has right in the middle of one. And it's bringing about the topic of weaning calves early to save on feed costs. Cornell Cooperative Extension has a way to crunch the numbers and see what works ebst for your operation.
An article on Drover's Magazine website, says "early weaning results in a 28% reduction in daily forage demand." That difference could be enough to either avoid deeper culling during drought or extend the grazing season long enough to save significant amounts of winter feed.
One disadvantage is younger calves will obviously weigh less, and might bring fewer dollars to the ranch, depending on the price slide in place at sale time. Another obstacle is finding buyers that want to feed and buy lightweight calves. Not every feeder is set-up to handle and manage very young cattle, which can affect the number of potential buyers and how aggressively they bid on lightweight calves.
There are many other factors to consider, including the difference in raising beef vs dairy cattle, read more here. Cornell recently released a new Decision Guide that provides worksheets to crunch the numbers. You can also contact Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Ag Team at (315) 736-3394 or online. Office hours are 8:30 to 4:40 Mon-Fri.
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