Effects of early or conventional weaning on beef cow and calf performance in pasture or drylot environments

Abstract

Performance of cows and calves during 63-d early or conventional weaning periods was evaluated. Spring-calving beef cows (n = 167) of similar age, body condition score (BCS), and body weight (BW = 599 ± 54.5 kg), and their calves (initial BW = 204 ± 26.7 kg; 153 ± 15 d of age) were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 weaning treatments: weaning at 153 d of age followed by 56 days of limit feeding in confinement (E-D), confinement of cow and calf for a 56-d period of limit feeding followed by weaning at 209 d of age (C-D), weaning at 153 d of age followed by a 56-d grazing period (E-P), and a 56-d grazing period for both cow and calf followed by weaning at 209 d of age (C-P). Cows and calves assigned to pasture treatments grazed native range pastures without supplement. Cows and calves assigned to drylot treatments were fed complete diets. Calves assigned to E-D were fed a concentrate-based diet at 2.5% of BW, whereas cows assigned to E-D were fed a forage-based diet at 1.6% of BW. Cows assigned to C-D were offered the diet fed to E-D cows at 2.0% of BW. Calf average daily gain (ADG) was influenced by diet and weaning treatments (diet × weaning, P ≤ 0.03). Cows and calves assigned to all treatments were limit fed common diets for 7 d at the end of our study to equalize gut fill. In general, calves managed in confinement and fed concentrate-based diets (i.e., E-D and C-D) had greater ADG than non-supplemented calves maintained on pasture (i.e., E-P and C-P). Cow BW and BCS change (days 0 to 63) were influenced by both diet and weaning status (P ≤ 0.05). Non-lactating cows maintained on pasture had lesser BW loss than other treatments, whereas non-lactating cows fed in confinement had lesser BCS on day 63 and greater BCS loss from days 0 to 63 than other treatments. Conversely, rump-fat depth on day 63 was greater (P < 0.01) for non-lactating cows maintained on pasture than for lactating cows in either pasture or drylot environments. Similarly, change in rump-fat depth was greatest (diet × weaning, P < 0.01) for non-lactating cows on pasture and least for lactating cows in either pasture or drylot environments. Results were interpreted to indicate that early-weaning spared cow BW and rump fat compared to weaning at conventional ages. Performance of cows appeared to be similar when limit-fed under drylot conditions or maintained in a pasture environment. Conversely, calf performance was generally greater in confinement than on pasture.

Keywords: conventional weaning; early weaning; limit-fed.